Greenburg EF-5 Tornado Damage

One Year Later - May 2008

On May 4th, 2007 the town of Greensburg, Kansas took a direct hit from a huge tornado measuring approximately 1.7 miles in diameter. The tornado destroyed 95% of the town and was rated an EF-5, the highest damage rating that is given to tornadoes. Luckily, the town had about 20 minutes warning time and there were only 10 fatalities. This is remarkable considering the amount of damage done, especially since the tornado struck at night. I visited Greenburg one year after the event to see how the town was doing. The rebuilding process has been ongoing and the town appears to have come a long way since the disaster. Even though the scars from the tornado remain, there is a definite sense of regrowth in the town.

A sculpture built from the debris left behind by the tornado. The new water tower stands in the background.	Before the tornado, the town was known as the home of the "World's largest hand dug well". It survived the tornado despite the surrounding buildings being destroyed.

The commemorative plaque on the town's new water tower.	New construction going up in some of the hardest hit parts of town.

The foundation of a house that was destroyed by the tornado.	Only the basement stairs and walls remain.

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