Greensburg Kansas: Better Stronger Greener!
Before Grennsburg Kansas got ripped of the it map was a small town that no one had ever heard of. The town is 1.4 miles long. Greensburg is home of the world's largest home dug well. Greensburg was a great town to raise a family with only 1,574 residents.
Greensburg Kansas has changed a lot after the tornado. The tornado destroyed everything in its path. On May 4th, 2007 a little after 9:48 pm Greensburg Kansas was torn off the map. Tornado sirens went off in Greensburg 20 minutes before the tornado hit. That saved many lives. The tornado was so wide a storm chaser who was chasing the storm couldn't get both edges of the tornado to fit in the lens of the camera. 1.7 miles was the estimated width of the tornado and it traveled for 22 miles. Winds were estiamted by the National Weather Service to reach up to 205 mph. Sadly the tornado caused 7-11 fatalities. 95% of Greensburg was confirmed destroyed and the other 5% was severly damaged.
Greensburg Kansas was demolished by an EF-5 tornado and out of 1,574 residents, 500 returned wthin one week! Within six months after the tornado approximately 900 residents were living in the town.
Many organizations are raising money to help put Greensburg Kansas back on hte map. Greensburg City Council held a meeting and they decided to rebuild Greensburg "Green". Leadership in Energy Envirmental Design (LEED) is helping Greensburg live up to its name of being "green". With the help of a non-profit organization called Greensburg Greentown they are working together to help Greensburg reach its town goal of using 100% renewable energy 100% of the time! Greensburg Greentown was created to teach residents about living Green. Greensburg Kansas is now the greenest town in the nation!

At 9:15 p.m. CDT on May 4 2007, Greensburg Kansas was hit by an EF5 tornado. The tornado was estimated to be 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in width and traveled for nearly 22 miles (35 km). Ninety-five percent of the city was confirmed to be destroyed, with the other five percent being severely damaged.The National Weather Service estimated winds of the tornado to reach 205 mph (330 km/h). This was the first tornado to be rated EF5 since the update of the Fujita scale. The tornado had caused EF5 damage to at least one well-built home in Greensburg and also the is the first "5" classification since May 3,1999, when an F5 tornado ripped through Moore Oklahoma as part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. Greensburg tornado sirens sounded the in the city twenty minutes before the tornado struck, and a tornado emergency was issued,which undoubtedly saved many lives. Sadly nine to eleven people died. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and President George W. Bush both declared Kiowa County a disaster area, which opened up the affected areas for national and international aid.

Green City
Ater the tornado, the city council passed a reasolation starting that all city buildings would be built to LEED- platinum standards, making it the first city tin the nation to do so. Greensburg is rebuilding as a "green" town, with the help of Greensburg Greens Town, a non-profit organization created to help residents learn about implement the green living initative.


To watch Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6U7OBA2fUL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2mhmc3CXLg