NEWNAN, Ga. — Flanked by government, public service and school officials, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp got to see first hand how a powerful EF-4 tornado tore apart the lives, homes, businesses and schools of some Newnan residents.
“We’re going to do everything in our power with the state resources we have to help this community rebuild,” said Kemp
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Channel 2 Action News reporter Christian Jennings spoke to Ashley Jordan Saturday morning. Ashley’s home is on Lagrange Street, right across from Newnan High School where every building on campus sustained some damage.
“This was my grandparents home,” Jordan said. “They built it.”
Jordan had already gone to bed Wednesday night when she got an alert on her phone saying a tornado was heading her way. She grabbed her two kids and went to the basement while her husband looked outside, but not for long.
“Within like 30 seconds of him coming back in, running in the basement, he was throwing a mattress on us and it was on top of us. I felt the pressure and I could hear the roof kind of cracking,” said Jordan.
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Jordan walked Jennings through the Lagrange Avenue home, pointing out the damage already done.
“Yeah, just come in on. This is our carport door,” Jordan said.
Outside the home, a bustle of activity, power crews, police and volunteers were marching down the street with chain saws. They came ready to help the people in Jordan’s neighborhood any way they can.
“Yeah, and people we don’t even know, they’ve come to offer assistance,” said Jordan.
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Jordan tells everyone she’s grateful to be alive and thankful the neighbors who live around her are too.
“How my neighbors survived is amazing. They were in bed and held on to anything they could and survived it. They’re a complete loss their walls are gone roof gone everything is gone,” Jordan said.
Looking out from the Jordan’s backyard, it’s easy to see the tornado’s path through the neighborhood.
The road ahead for her family and others nearby is long, but one they won’t be traveling alone.
“I mean when we say we’re Newnan strong, we’re Newnan strong,” Jordan said.