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Newnan tornado damaged 1,700+ homes, according to assessment

Another 70 homes were completely destroyed; roughly 120 more had 'major damage.'

NEWNAN, Ga. — Recovery efforts continue in Coweta County after last month's devastating EF-4 tornado tore through populated parts of Newnan. And a little over a week after the destructive storm, officials now have a better picture of the scope of the damage.

On Monday, county and state emergency management agencies, along with Homeland Security, announced the findings of their initial damage assessment of the violent March 26 storm. Initial figures show the storm damaged more than 1,700 homes. Another 70 homes were completely destroyed; roughly 120 more had "major damage."

RELATED: How to help tornado victims in Newnan, Georgia

This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct its own damage assessments to determine if Newnan and the surrounding areas impacted by the tornado warrant a federal disaster declaration.

A storm survey from the National Weather Service determined that the EF-4 storm, with winds of more than 170 miles, originated from a supercell thunderstorm that spawned a long-track tornado in Alabama just before 11 p.m. then lifted near the Alabama/Georgia state line, the NWS said. 

RELATED: Tornado believed to have cut 75-mile path from Alabama into Coweta County and was 1-mile wide

Another tornado redeveloped around 11:37 p.m. in Western Heard County near Franklin, according to the NWS, and traveled almost 39 miles east-northeast through Coweta and Fayette Counties.

One death was reported in association with the storm in Georgia.

According to officials, the Georgia Department of Transportation is continuing to clean and remove debris from county roads and subdivisions.

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