Greensburg tornado

A big wind storm hit a town.

It was called a tornado. The wind was very strong. It broke many homes.

This storm hit a place called Greensburg. It moved through the town at night. The wind was so strong it moved cars. It even stripped bark off of trees.

Many buildings were lost. But the people had a plan. They wanted to build a green town.

They used wind to make power. They built new buildings that save energy. Now, people visit to see the green town.

On May 4, 2007, a massive tornado hit Greensburg, Kansas.

This storm was very strong. It was the first tornado to get an EF5 rating. The EF scale is a way to measure how much damage a tornado does.

The tornado touched down at 9:03 p.m. It moved through the town for about one hour. The wind was so powerful that it moved cars. It even stripped the bark off of trees. Many buildings were lost. In fact, 95% of the city was damaged or destroyed.

Kansas is in a place called Tornado Alley. This is a region where many tornadoes happen. In Kansas, cold air from the mountains meets warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. This makes big storms.

After the storm, the town had a special plan. They wanted to build a "green town." They used wind turbines to make power. They also built new buildings that save energy. This helped the town become a place for eco-tourists to visit.

On May 4, 2007, a very powerful tornado struck Greensburg, Kansas.

This storm was part of a large weather outbreak across the central United States. It was a special event for scientists because it was the first tornado to be rated EF5. The EF5 rating comes from the Enhanced Fujita scale. This scale measures how much damage a tornado causes to things on the ground. The storm was so strong that it damaged or destroyed 95% of the city.

Tornadoes in Kansas often form in a place called Tornado Alley. This happens when cold, dry air from the Rocky Mountains meets warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The cold air pushes under the warm air. This creates an updraft, which is rising air that helps build big thunderstorms. On this night, many storms developed near the Oklahoma and Kansas border. By 8:30 p.m., storm spotters saw rotating wall clouds. A large supercell storm then formed near U.S. Highway 183. This storm produced the Greensburg tornado and several smaller satellite tornadoes.

The Greensburg tornado touched down at 9:03 p.m. south of the city. It moved north and grew into a wide, wedge-shaped storm. The tornado hit the city after turning toward the northwest. It was very violent as it moved through residential areas. The wind was strong enough to level Delmer Day Elementary School. It also destroyed downtown businesses like the local grocery store and bank. Even trees were changed, as the wind stripped the bark off them. The tornado stayed on the ground for just over one hour.

Experts studied the damage to understand the storm's power. They found that 961 homes and businesses were destroyed in total. Some homes were so badly moved that they slid off their brick foundations.

In total, the city faced $250 million in losses. The tornado also caused 63 people to be injured. This event was one of the most intense storms seen in many years. Scientists used radar to see a "hook echo" in the storm. This shape on radar often shows a powerful part of a thunderstorm.

After the storm, the people of Greensburg decided to rebuild in a special way. They followed a plan to become a "green town." This means they wanted to use energy that is better for the Earth. They installed wind turbines to create power. They also required new buildings to have LEED platinum certification. This is the highest rating for energy-saving designs. The new Kiowa County Memorial Hospital even became carbon neutral in 2010. Today, people visit the town to see how it was rebuilt.

On May 4, 2007, a violent tornado struck Greensburg, Kansas.

This event was part of a massive severe weather outbreak across the central United States. The storm was significant because it was the first tornado to be rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. This scale was adopted in the United States on February 1, 2007, replacing the original Fujita scale. The tornado caused immense destruction, damaging or destroying 95% of the city.

It killed between 11 and 12 people and injured 63 others.

Tornadoes are a common occurrence in Kansas. The state experiences an average of 87 tornadoes every year. Kansas has the second-highest number of tornadoes in the country, trailing only Texas. This is because Kansas sits in the center of Tornado Alley. This region is where most U.S. tornadoes occur. Tornadoes form when cold, dry air from the Rocky Mountains meets warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The cold air pushes under the warm air, creating an updraft. This rising air helps develop the intense thunderstorms that produce tornadoes.

The weather on May 4 began with supercell thunderstorms. These are very large, powerful storms. Intense supercells developed in the early evening hours across northwestern Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas. Around 7:30 p.m., a cluster of thunderstorms formed near the Oklahoma-Kansas border. By 8:45 p.m., storm spotters observed rotating wall clouds, which are cloud formations at the base of a thunderstorm. At 9:25 p.m., radar detected a hook echo in southern Kiowa County. A hook echo is a specific radar signature that often indicates a mesocyclone, or a rotating part of a thunderstorm.

The Greensburg tornado touched down at 9:03 p.m. south of the city. It moved north and began to widen significantly. The storm grew into a broad, wedge-shaped tornado. As it approached Greensburg, the National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency at 9:41 p.m. This warned that a violent tornado was on a direct path for the city. The tornado also had several satellite tornadoes orbiting it. Researchers used mobile radar to find at least five of these smaller, accompanying tornadoes.

The impact on Greensburg was catastrophic. The tornado remained at EF4 intensity as it hit residential areas. It completely leveled a section of Delmer Day Elementary School.

Downtown Greensburg was also devastated. Many businesses, including the local grocery store and bank, were destroyed. The wind was so strong that it rolled or lofted 48 vehicles. Trees throughout the city were stripped of all their bark. In total, 961 homes and businesses were destroyed. Experts found that 53 homes actually slid off their brick foundations.

In the aftermath, the city faced $250 million in monetary losses. Kiowa County was declared a federal disaster area. However, the community chose to use this tragedy to transform itself. They implemented a Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) plan. The goal was to rebuild Greensburg as a "green town." This means using sustainable designs to help the environment. All new buildings were required to reach LEED platinum certification. This is the highest possible rating for energy-efficient design.

This rebuilding process led to several environmental milestones. The city installed wind turbines to provide power. The new Kiowa County Memorial Hospital became the first hospital in the United States to achieve carbon neutrality in 2010.

While the high cost of homes makes it difficult to attract new residents, the town has become a destination for eco-tourists. People visit to see the unique way the city was reconstructed.

The Greensburg story shows how a community can use a major disaster to build a more sustainable future.