Newton Falls after the tornado, a look back at the devastation 40 years ago

May 31, 1985, started out like any other day.

"That day was a beautiful day, much like today is."

Those were the words of Tesa (Wujick) Spletzer, a junior at Newton Falls High School in 1985. One of the final days of her junior year started like any other, but would prove to end anything but.

"During the day, there was absolutely no sign whatsoever that everyone's lives were going to change later that afternoon, " says (Wujick) Spletzer.

For many, there was no sign of what was actually happening. Many heard sirens or saw dark clouds from the nearby storm, but in 1985, there were no cell phones or social media to link the community directly to what was happening.

"We knew there was a bad storm, you could tell because the sky was dark and it got windy and everything, but I wasn't that close to what was happening to realize it was that astronomical," adds (Wujick) Spletzer.

Just after 6:30 in the evening on May 31, the tornado would enter Trumbull County. Its path of destruction would begin in Newton Falls.

And while it's estimated that over 400 homes and businesses in Newton Falls were damaged or destroyed, there were no fatalities. Something that was linked to the quick action of Clayton Reakes, a volunteer storm spotter at the time, who rushed to the top of the then Newton Falls Municipal Building to sound the tornado sirens.

"There were some absolutely devastated houses, where people had nothing," recalls (Wujick) Spletzer.

In the days to come, Tesa would have a front row seat to her town's clean-up efforts. A member of Newton Falls' HS AV club at the time, she reported on the town's damage and cleanup.

"It was shock and awe, disbelief. It was amazing how well we rebounded," adds (Wujick) Spletzer as she watches a video of the damage from that day. 

Those were Tesa's reactions after watching her report, now 40 years later. Video of damaged homes on Charleston Road, businesses in the center of town, and even chairs assembled for the upcoming high school graduation were eerily untouched just a week later.

We asked (Wujick) Spletzer, Did you realize the magnitude of what you were reporting on when you did it as a junior in high school?

"Absolutely not, I didn't realize that until my daughter came home from Elementary School one day and said, Mommy, I saw you on TV today. I said Really? And she said yes, you were talking about a tornado," she says. 

Tesa will never forget that day, and her words 40 years ago...." a typical day became an unforgettable one."