Friday Feature: Greensburg, Kansas

“What we have gained is not measured in physical buildings but in the character of the community.”

Bob Dixson, Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas

EF5 tornado nearly destroyed Greensburg, Kanas in 2007

May 4, 2007 is a date no one in Greensburg, Kansas (population 777) will ever forget. That’s the day an EF5 tornado, with winds 205 miles per hour, touched down more than 75 times, destroyed 95 percent of the town, and claimed the lives of 12 of its citizens. With the nearly total destruction, it would have been easy for townsfolk to throw up their hands and walk away—who could have blamed them?—but they didn't. That’s not the way people in this town operate. Instead, they stood among the rubble and, with a real “cup half full” vision, saw opportunity. They made the decision not only to rebuild, but to rebuild better and greener.

Rebirth: Greensburg’s 5.4.7 Arts Center

In 2007 the City Council voted to rebuild all city buildings in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum standards, making Greensburg the first town in the United States to do so. Extending that vision to the arts, the new 5.4.7 Arts Center is entirely solar and wind powered. Private companies got in on the act, too. A 10-turbine farm just outside of town produces enough energy to power 4,000 homes. The John Deere dealership has a new facility powered by wind and it has become a distributorship for small- to medium-sized turbines. And there’s a new a business incubator, which provides temporary office and retail space to businesses, funded by donations from Frito Lay and the actor Leonardo DiCaprio. 

On the homes front, 193 permits have been issued for single-family homes. There’s still a ways to go—more than 900 homes were lost—but how many towns, small or large, can claim such strong construction numbers in this tight economy? On top of that, the town is planning a chain of eco-homes to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies for sustainability. The first home is the Silo Eco-Home, which was inspired by the grain silos still standing after the tornado’s tear through town.

The road to recovery has been tough, but town leaders say the way to stay on course is not to look back but to go forward. And it seems to be working. The town was recently named a top 10 “Coolest Small Town in America” by Budget Travel for its tenacity and vision. The tornado may have nearly wiped out Greensburg, but it did nothing to wipe the resolve of its people to survive.

Sources:
Greensburg still growing four years later
Voted top 10 coolest small town in America
Greensburg, Kansas website