NEWNAN, Ga. — The people who live near the downtown area of Newnan, Georgia may never have realized that March 25′s EF-4 tornado has changed their lives forever.
The damage a full three weeks later is still heartbreaking with residents feverishly working to gather and clear their belongings, many of those items deeply personal.
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Friday, Channel 2 Action News Anchor Lori Wilson spent the day in Newnan with people picking up and groups of volunteers from three different groups at four different locations who were all there to do one thing.
Help.
Wilson visited with Chloe Connally and her husband Orlandis. They are going through the items volunteers collected from the rubble that used to be their Newnan home.
“You really can’t think of what all you’re missing at that time,” said Chloe.
When they and the volunteers at her home helping her clean found pictures of the Connally’s grandchildren, the tears were flowing.
“They found my mom’s pictures. And both my mom and my dad are deceased. So that kind of touched me when I seen my mom holding my son,” Chloe said.
For John Moeller, president and CEO of Inspiritus, helping families like the Connelly’s was an eye opening experience.
“It’s gut wrenching to see such utter devastation. And to know families hunkered down in the basement and were pinned and frankly didn’t know if they were going to survive,” Moeller said.
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The Connally’s and their kids did survive. While cleaning up on Friday, a group of volunteers helping them sift through the remains of their home found a purple and white surprise for their daughter.
“Oh yeah her new Jordan’s. We got them for Christmas for her...said Chloe.
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Saturday, the cleanup continues. This time, the day brings both of Georgia’s U.S. Senators, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to meet with community leaders and find out how the federal government can help families like the Connally’s and others ready to rebuild.
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