Tornado destroys family home in Georgia

On the night of March 25, 2021 in Newnan, GA, an EF-4 tornado completely destroyed my father's brick home and trapped my stepmother and six-year-old niece inside the bathroom under rubble and debris. Winds peaked at 170 mph as it dismantled the home he has lived in for over 15 years. Somehow no one was seriously injured.


My father, Aaron Payton, works as a truck driver hauling gasoline at night around the Atlanta-Metro area. He was not home when this happened, but my stepmother, Melissa, and niece, Kensleigh, were sleeping as the tornado touched down. They rushed to the bathroom to hide in the tub as soon as they heard the sirens around midnight. The roof was immediately ripped off completely the moment they laid down, and they were trapped in the dark under sheetrock, debris, and insulation while it rained heavily. They laid there scared and panicked until a neighbor finally came to their rescue.

This is the bathtub Melissa and Kensleigh were hiding during this terrifying storm: 

Because it rained the entire night after the tornado took off the roof of their house, all of the appliances, electronics, furniture, and other personal effects that otherwise may have been salvageable are completely ruined. Nothing could be saved. At this point, they are walking away with their clothes and a few pictures/important paper documents. 


My family has to completely start over. My prayer is that anyone who is reading this and has any capacity to give will help my father and his family rebuild their lives in the wake of this catastrophic tornado. Kensleigh (pictured below), told me, "I was so brave last night, Megan. I wish this didn't happen to our house. I wish we still had a home." 


Lastly, my father's house undoubtedly experienced the most significant damage in the area. Fox 5 interviewed him for this reason. Watch this video to see more footage of the state of his home and to see my father chatting with the local news crew: Fox 5 Atlanta Interview 


All of the proceeds will be going directly to my father and his family to help with the costs of living while they are staying in a hotel; it will also go towards helping him meet his home and car insurance deductible.

He does not know that I am creating this fundraiser for him. My hope is that we can all surprise him in the coming days to show Aaron, Melissa, and Kensleigh (who they just recently legally adopted in 2019) all the love and support they desperately need right now.

Thank you for passing this message on to anyone you may know! It would be a blessing!