NEWNAN, Ga. — Two years on from one of the strongest tornadoes to hit Georgia in years, the Newnan community is still recovering.
An EF-4 struck Coweta County on March 25, 2021, the strongest tornado to hit the state in a decade.
This weekend, a commemoration is planned in the form of a Community Day of Service. Meanwhile, some Newnan schools, including Newnan High School, are still on their way to being fully repaired.
The Coweta Community Foundation will host the Community Day of Service on Saturday. According to the foundation, service opportunities will be available with the groups Bridging the Gap and RiverLife:
- Bridging the Gap is meeting at 9 a.m. to "move inventory and shelves and lay down plywood flooring to improve their warehouse facility," according to a release, with registration available here.
- RiverLife will meet at 9 a.m. for "debris removal and other clean-up endeavors." Registration is available at the group's website.
Additionally, a tree planting is scheduled at the Hope Global Duplex, which is at the corner of Pinson Street and Savannah Street. That is set to take place at 10 a.m.
The Coweta Community Foundation's long-term recovery director Rich DeWees said the marking of two years since the tornado is "both a sobering time as we remember the devastation and a hopeful time as we remember the many individuals and organizations who stepped up to help."
According to the foundation, continued recovery efforts in 2022 included:
- 95 new long-term recovery cases, including 87 homeowners, representing 304 people, with an estimated 27% of those people children
- 12 completed construction projects, with the help of Weaverland Disaster Services
- The launching of a 20-person long-term recovery mental health team
- $500 utility assistance payments that helped 79 homes
Those who wish to contribute to the foundation's continued recovery support efforts can do so at the Coweta Community Foundation website.
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Newnan storm damage from severe weather
Newnan High School and Atkinson Elementary
Schools are also still recovering in Newnan.
Specific details about Atkinson Elementary were unavailable, but 11Alive's Joe Ripley spoke with district representatives who mentioned the school is still rebuilding.
Meanwhile, Newnan High is approaching what one teacher described as "a light at the end of the tunnel."
According to Principal Chase Puckett, repairs have been done to buildings, including the main academic building and the southside campus athletic complex. Currently, there are 2,400 students on the main campus and another 600 freshmen at the Cougar Village campus.
District Superintendent Dr. Evan Horton described the rebuilding efforts at the high school as a $110 million project.
Kristen Johnstone, the teacher who described a light at the end of the tunnel, described the situation.
"Physically, we’re in two different places with the freshmen being on one campus. We’re here. The trailers, the dirt, dust and everything. But we also say the school is not the buildings. It’s the people," she said.
The English teacher said it was "fun to see the buildings going up" and that "we were a little giddy the past two days seeing the brick go on the front of the gym."
"It’s a little silly that something that small really does give you a lift," Andersen said.
Principal Puckett said, "we are looking forward to the future."
"We now have milestones we’re passing where we see the new buildings go up," he said. "This is one of the single largest investments in Coweta County School System history: over $100 million project to replace the oldest school in the county.”
Puckett said the future of Newnan High is "bright."
The funds, according to Superintendent Horton, are coming from a mix of insurance, local education tax dollars and possibly some federal disaster relief money.
“These people here, they have been a testimony in how to respond to adversity. When things don’t go well, they’ve shown their resilience. They’ve just banded together," he said. "We’re making decisions now that are going to impact this community and the generations to come in this community for the better part of the next 75 years.”
The process of rebuilding Newnan High, he added, is one of the most trying but also the most gratifying he's ever been a part of.