March 26, 2021. 11:47 p.m.

The Night Everything Changed

An EF-4 tornado with 170 mph winds carved through Coweta County. In 53 minutes and 39 miles on the ground, it destroyed 70 homes completely. Damaged 1,700 more. Generated 16,000 insurance claims. Changed thousands of lives forever.

The tornado was a mile wide. Newnan was in its center.

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Meet The Team

1,744 Homes Affected

Of the homes damaged, 70 were destroyed and 120 sustained major damage. More than 200 families were still displaced from their homes after two years, the length of time an insurance claim usually stays open.

12,000+ Lost Power

City customers with Newnan Utilities and county customers with Coweta-Fayette EMC were without power. Some for weeks.

The Cost of Coverage

There were more than 16,000 home and auto insurance claims filed, but 31% of those affected by the storm had no coverage. The total cost of damage was $200 million.

But Newnan Refused To Break

Within hours, neighbors with chainsaws cleared streets for emergency vehicles. Chick-fil-A walked the neighborhoods with free sandwiches. Churches opened doors. Strangers became family.

The phrase "Newnan Strong" appeared on damaged houses. One survivor, Whitney B. painted it in yellow on her destroyed home. "Maybe we're gonna be okay. We might make it after all."

As TJ and Angie Dolan said after surviving a tree crushing their bathroom: "We made it through the tornado. We can do this."

An Idea Is Born

Creativity in the midst of trauma

In April 2021, Gwendolyn Kuhlmann drove down LaGrange Street for the first time post-tornado. As she crested the bridge from downtown, it was like a gut punch. Trees were gone - shaved off from the top. The same old oaks she walked below after school as a teen. The blue-tarped roofs led her to Newnan High School, where she saw her alma mater's roof town off like a can opener got to it.

But she also saw people. Thousands of them, showing up for each other. Construction crews, utility workers, neighbors helping neighbors. We were still recovering from pandemic isolation and here they were, not caring about what divides us. Only caring if you needed help.

Gwendolyn thought, "I'm either going to be depressed about how my home has changed, or I'm going to make something beautiful out of this." In the process of making this project, Newnan and Coweta County have had a chance to tell their story, and it's something we all need to hear:

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What does it take to build a community that can not only withstand a tornado, but be stronger because of it? What does it look like when our care for each other outweighs any possible division.

This is what community looks like.

Building the Team

Creativity in the midst of trauma

Gwendolyn started the project with some recording software and a computer in the collections building of the Newnan-Coweta History Center, where the full oral history archive of 70+ completed interviews will be available for future generations.

With funding and the help of Caring Communities Foundation, the project grew to have a WABE listening booth, traveling recording sessions, and a team of people ready to help bring the Seasons of Strength performance to life.