May 4, 2007, started out like any other day in the Kansas prairie town of Greensburg. Flowers were in bloom, kids were playing, and it all seemed like a typical spring day for its 1400 residents. However, by 10 pm that night, there would be nothing "typical" about it. The town of Greensburg, famous for having the largest hand dug well in the world, would now be known as the town that was completely destroyed by a F5 tornado.
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| No, we didn't get hit by a tornado. This is just an impressive dustdevil in Oklahoma. |
As we traveled through that town yesterday, we were shocked by the complete destruction of the entire town. (The best hour long documentary of it that I have found online is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=08PM3YEqBcE&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1 . Five minutes into it will show you the first video of the aftermath & 10 minutes will show the first sights of it the next morning. ) Four years later, there are few original trees left. Slabs of concrete are all that remained in many parts of the little town where houses and buildings once stood. We drove to the site of the hand dug well, only to see the remnants of what used to be a building which I suspect was used to give tours. A steel flagpole (shown to the right) was twisted in the midst of the ruins next to the site. As one might imagine the population of Greensburg has declined substantially since that infamous day.
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| Inside the Grean Bean Coffee Shop/Deli |
Now for the good news, Greensburg is making a comeback. In order to prepare for this new century, they decided to pick a "Green" theme to draw people into their town. It only seems right that Greensburg would chose to go green. As we drove around the town there were solar panels, wind turbines, and various other "green" technology in place. Across from the site of hand-dug well was a interesting visitor center showcasing the new technology being used. A sweet lady inside took us on a tour of the new things being used in town. (I even had the opportunity to get inside of an egg shaped storm shelter that should be able to survive any tornado.) Sadly, many people had no choice but to leave their town to seek employment elsewhere, as there were no businesses left. However, there were some that were fortunate enough to be able to stay in their hometown. I hope that they will one day be able to see the rich rewards of their vision. (At 53 minutes into the above mentioned youtube documentary you will see their 'green' vision for the future.) If you ever find yourself in Greensburg, I recommend the "Green Bean" coffee shop/deli/ice cream parlor! It even has free wifi for those needing to connect to the internet.
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| Solar powered art studio in Greensburg |
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| This sink is located on top of the toilet. As you wash your hands it refills the tank for the next flush. |
On a side note, I was able to see my native state of Kansas for the first time in over 5 years. I know that there are many people out there that think it is a boring state. Both my wife and I love to find the beauty of all things. It is not hard to find if you will just take the time to look. I'm really looking forward to our return to southeastern Kansas in a few days. After seeing first hand what can happen to a town in the blink of an eye, I know that I will more truly appreciate the time I spend in my hometown when we make a short visit there. Happy Trails everyone! As I mentioned yesterday, my wife is with her mom for a couple of days. She will be back soon!
As we traveled through that town yesterday, we were shocked by the complete destruction of the entire town. (The best hour long documentary of it that I have found online is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=08PM3YEqBcE&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1 . Five minutes into it will show you the first video of the aftermath & 10 minutes will show the first sights of it the next morning. ) Four years later, there are few original trees left. Slabs of concrete are all that remained in many parts of the little town where houses and buildings once stood. We drove to the site of the hand dug well, only to see the remnants of what used to be a building which I suspect was used to give tours. A steel flagpole (shown to the right) was twisted in the midst of the ruins next to the site. As one might imagine the population of Greensburg has declined substantially since that infamous day.
Now for the good news, Greensburg is making a comeback. In order to prepare for this new century, they decided to pick a "Green" theme to draw people into their town. It only seems right that Greensburg would chose to go green. As we drove around the town there were solar panels, wind turbines, and various other "green" technology in place. Across from the site of hand-dug well was a interesting visitor center showcasing the new technology being used. A sweet lady inside took us on a tour of the new things being used in town. (I even had the opportunity to get inside of an egg shaped storm shelter that should be able to survive any tornado.) Sadly, many people had no choice but to leave their town to seek employment elsewhere, as there were no businesses left. However, there were some that were fortunate enough to be able to stay in their hometown. I hope that they will one day be able to see the rich rewards of their vision. (At 53 minutes into the above mentioned youtube documentary you will see their 'green' vision for the future.) If you ever find yourself in Greensburg, I recommend the "Green Bean" coffee shop/deli/ice cream parlor! It even has free wifi for those needing to connect to the internet. 
Would love to know a little more about your solar generator.. I am also a full timer who is doing everything possible to go off the grid..
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I love all of the photos! Thanks!!!
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