A significant tornado outbreak occurred took place from March 24–28, 2021 across the South only one week after an outbreak affected many of the same areas.. There were 43 tornadoes confirmed across 11 states, with the bulk of activity primarily on March 25, which resulted in the Storm Prediction center (SPC) issuing its second high-risk outlook for the month of March. Here, we will focus on one particularly strong tornado that inflicted significant damage to the city of Newnan, Georgia. Newnan sits along the Interstate 85 corridor about 60 mils southwest of Atlanta.
Meteorological Conditions
Below is an NWS surface weather map from 7 am on March 25, 2021. It shows developing low pressure in the Ark-La-Tex area and a warm front that moved north from the Gulf. The front passed through the area southwest of Atlanta. That, along with a favorable upper-level environment, was ideal for severe thunderstorms and tornadic development.
A overview of the situation by meteorologists at NWS Peachtree City, Georgia.
The Event – March 25, 2021
In the midst of this outbreak, a tornado formed in western Georgia just after 11:30 pm. The tornado that tracked 39 miles across Heard, Coweta and Fayette Counties just after 11:30 pm with only minor damage to trees. The tornado grew stronger as it traveled east-northeast producing more widespread damage to trees and power lines west of Franklin. The twister became very intense as it moved into Franklin and crossed the Chattahoochee River with winds around 130 mph and a path width around 850 yards or 1/2 mile. Damage in Franklin was extensive with several homes heavily damaged or destroyed.
NWS Meteorologists at Peachtree City (Falcon Field) tracked the tornado as it headed toward Newnan.
Winds quickly increased further to over 150 mph (EF3 intensity) near Timberland Trail. Many homes had major damage and one home had all but the back wall collapse. The family survived with no injuries by taking shelter in their bathtub. The tornado reached its maximum intensity of 170 mph as it entered the western city limits of Newnan. One home at the end of Fairview Drive had all exterior and interior walls removed. Four homes along Arlington Ct, north of Lagrange St were destroyed with one having all exterior and interior walls removed but leaving a yellow vehicle nearly untouched in the garage. The path width was approximately 1850 yards or just over 1 mile.
Note: Damage photos below are from the NWS in Peachtree City, Georgia.
As the tornado moved east it directly struck Newnan High School and surrounding athletics fields causing broken windows and doors and extensive roof and structure damage just before midnight . The original high school building was built in 1888 with brick walls and sturdy stone and woodwork, yet the only wall failure was to a portion of the second-story brick wall near the front of the main campus building.
The tornado weakened a bit as it moved into the southern part of downtown and passed directly over the county Justice Center and adjacent administrative building which houses the courts, 911 facility and many other government functions. Extensive roof and window damage and some interior wind and water damage occurred at the facility. Numerous homes continued to receive damage from winds and falling trees as it moved east-northeast, crossing E Broad Street with 120-135 mph max winds.
Local media in Atlanta, Georgia covered this event extensively, during the storm and through the aftermath. Seventeen hundred homes were damaged and seventy were destroyed. Total damage estimates exceeded 75 million dollars.
Remarkably, there were no injuries or storm related deaths. One person died from a heart attack during the storm.
A PDS tornado warning was upgraded to a tornado emergency by the National weather Service Office in Peachtree, Georgia for the Newnan area before the tornado arrived.
Here are some observations from NWS meteorologists from that office .
March 2026 – Fifth Anniversary
It took four years to clean up and rebuild from this devastating tornado in Newnan, Georgia. The fifth anniversary of this event will feature a stage performance called “Seasons of Strength” that will tell stories of survivors that will be set to music and interpretive dance.
The creator, Gwendolyn Kulhman spent the last five years documenting survivors stories with a series of interviews, photos and stories.
- Dates/Times: Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 7:00 PM and Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM.
- Location: Unity Baptist Church in Newnan.
- Description: The performance features more than 100 recorded voices of survivors, first responders, and volunteers, combined with live music from the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra and dance from Southern Arc Dance.
- Weekend Recognition: Mayor James Shepherd has officially proclaimed March 21-22, 2026, as “Seasons of Strength Weekend” to honor the community’s recovery.
