Five years since EF-4 tornado struck Newnan, devastating town
Newnan tornado survivors turn wreckage into remembrance 5 years later
Five years ago Thursday morning, the town of Newnan changed forever after an EF-4 tornado with 170 mph winds cut a path of destruction through the community.
NEWNAN, Ga. - Five years ago Thursday morning, the town of Newnan changed forever after an EF-4 tornado with 170 mph winds cut a path of destruction through the community.
Long road to recovery
The backstory:
The tornado uprooted lives across Coweta County, damaging the high school and the historic downtown area. While physical scars on the landscape have started to fade, the stories of survival remain vivid for those who lived through the 53 minutes of terror in March 2021.
The storm was classified as an EF-4 tornado. Winds reached speeds of 170 mph during the event. Residents like Melanie Gramling were displaced from their homes for as long as 16 months during the rebuilding process.
While many homes and businesses have been rebuilt, the total long-term economic impact on all displaced residents and the full timeline for every remaining historic restoration project in the downtown area has not been specified.
Finding beauty in the broken
Local perspective:
Artist Faith Farrell saw an opportunity to save pieces of history by painting on the remnants of broken homes.
"I was like, 'Well, no, give me a piece of that wood. I’ll try to save some of your house, you know.' And that’s what gave me the idea... people should have a piece of their house... something of beauty can be made out of it," Farrell said.
Survivor Mark Toole, whose home was salvaged, noted the art "gives us an opportunity to share about our recovery."
The Toole family's home on Timberland Trail suffered major damage during the storm but was eventually salvaged. Robyn Toole recalled seeing a social media post about Farrell's art during the "haze" of the immediate aftermath and knew it was a way to hold onto what was lost.
In downtown Newnan, Mark Knox of Knox Home Furnishings faced a nightmare when he found his store's roof gone and water lines flowing wide open. Amidst the destruction, he found a grandfather clock built by his father, Roy Knox Sr., standing untouched in an attic that no longer had a roof.
"When I saw those sitting there and the roof gone... everything around them was destroyed... and they just pretty much were untouched. It was right there. Sort of a God thing," Knox said.
‘Newnan Strong’
Moving Forward:
The legacy of the community continues through businesses like Knox Home Furnishings. Connor Rund noted that being back in the building to perpetuate that legacy is special, describing the business as an "extension of our family wanting to serve this community." Five years later, the clocks are ticking, and the art is hanging as the "Newnan Strong" spirit persists.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews conducted by FOX 5 reporter Alex Forbes, including conversations with survivors Melanie Gramling, Robyn and Mark Toole, artist Faith Farrell, and business owners Mark Knox and Connor Rund.