Actor Tray Chaney and son reflect on the year after tornado destroyed their Georgia home
It's been a year since an EF-2 tornado destroyed "The Wire" actor Tray Cheney's Henry County home.
A year later, the Chaneys are reflecting on that day and sharing their experience in hopes of helping other homeowners who may end up in this situation.
"The only way we survived this was through God. I'm doing better than I was on this day last year. Surviving an EF-2 tornado that destroyed my entire home that I had built from the ground up in 2020," Tray Chaney said.
Chaney woke up underneath the rubble. His son, Malachi, was thrown about 300 feet from his bedroom when the tornado struck, leading to him suffering serious injuries and needing months of recovery.
"Doctors literally to this day are amazed at this freak accident that happened to me and how fast I recovered," Malachi Chaney said.
The damage didn't meet the state's threshold for a disaster declaration, so Chaney wasn't eligible for state or federal aid.
"Why wasn't my house declared a natural disaster? When you lose everything all in one swoop. This was all a natural disaster. It's not like I can blame anybody for hurting me and Malachi. This was just Mother Nature," Tray Chaney said.
Tray Chaney says rebuilding in Locust Grove would have been too traumatic. He has since moved into a new home in Atlanta.
"Me and Malachi went by there the other day to reflect and to close the chapter where we once lived," he said.
He said that, though insurance paid his family some reimbursement for items that were destroyed in the storm, the company is withholding some money because they didn't rebuild, calling it a "constant battle."
Through it all, Tray Chaney says his faith has kept him strong.
"It's the ultimate test. You turn into a testimony," he said.
In the year since the tornado, Malachi Chaney has returned to acting with a role in a new television series, "The Rejects."
"It's been one of the most monumental years I've ever had in my young life, and I'm just grateful every day," Chaney said.
Chaney and his son filmed a documentary about their life after the tornado called "Reborn by the Storm." They hope their experience will help others living through a difficult situation.
