One year later: Coweta County community reflects on devastating Newnan tornado

The Coweta Community Foundation held a service at the town square at 10 a.m. to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the challenges still ahead.
Published: Mar. 25, 2022 at 6:01 AM EDT
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ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - It’s been one year since a deadly tornado ripped through Newnan, damaging an estimated 1,700 structures in its wake. Now, on the anniversary of that devastating day, the Coweta County community is looking back while trying to move forward.

Just before midnight on March 25, a nearly mile-wide EF-4 tornado ripped through town, destroying neighborhoods throughout Newnan and in parts of Coweta County. High speed winds uprooted trees and scattered debris throughout the area, leaving residents trapped and seeking aid.

Officials would later confirm that one person died -- a man who suffered a medical episode as he was trying to reach his daughter’s home after the storm.

According to data provided by Georgia insurance companies, damage to homes and personal belongings were estimated at more than $75 million.

“My kids called me screaming they had just gone to the basement and they said the house fell in,” mother Chole Connally told CBS46 last year.

“Sirens went off three times in a matter of 15-20 minutes and we just started praying and we got in the hallway and it just hit and I just heard glass shattering, trees falling and the house shook and it was just very traumatizing,” resident Holly Duvall recalled in a previous interview with CBS46.

But in the midst of tragedy, Coweta County showed its strength.

Community members helped each other get back on their feet. Agencies, non-profit organizations and local businesses stepped in with short-term and long-term recovery efforts and volunteers from across Georgia came together to organize food banks and clean ups.

A year later, some homes still serve as a reflection of what happened that night. Most have been or are being rebuilt while others have been torn down or abandoned.

CBS46 spoke with Newnan’s Assistant City Manager Hasco Craver about what the past year has been like. He says it’s been amazing to see the people of Newnan come together, but adds there’s still work to be done.

“As we’ve learned from others who’ve been through similar type storms, this is not an overnight process. It could be three, four or five years before you’re back – if you’re ever back to normal.”

The Coweta Community Foundation is set to hold a service at the town square at 10 a.m. to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the challenges the community continues to face.