Greensburg, Kansas

City of Greensburg
—  City  —
Greensburg Water Tower
Location of Greensburg in Kansas
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Kiowa
Area
- Total	1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2)
- Land	1.5 sq mi (3.9 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	2,234 ft (681 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	1,574
- Density	1,055.9/sq mi (407.9/km2)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	67054
Area code(s)	620
FIPS code	20-28675[1]
GNIS feature ID	0474258[2]

Greensburg is a city in central Kiowa County, located in Southwest Kansas, in the Central United States. The population was 1,574 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and most populous city of Kiowa County.^[3] Greensburg is also home to the world's largest hand-dug well.

In the evening of May 4, 2007, Greensburg was devastated by an EF5 ^[4] tornado that traveled rapidly through the area, leveling at least 95 percent of the city and killing eleven people.^[5][6][7]

History

Greensburg was named for D. R. "Cannonball" Green, who owned a stagecoach company and who helped to form the city.^[8]

May 2007 tornado

City center, twelve days after the tornado struck.

At 9:45 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2007,^[9] Greensburg 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 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. Tornado sirens sounded in the city twenty minutes before the tornado struck, and a tornado emergency was issued, which undoubtedly saved many lives.^[10][11] Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and President George W. Bush both declared Kiowa County a disaster area,^[12] which opened up the affected areas for national and international aid. The Greensburg tornado was almost the same size as the Cactus, Texas tornado on April 21, 2007.

Green city

After the tornado, the city council passed a resolution stating that all city buildings would be built to LEED - platinum standards, making it the first city in the nation to do so. Greensburg is rebuilding as a "green" town, with the help of Greensburg GreenTown, a non-profit organization created to help the residents learn about and implement the green living initiative.^[13]

The city's power will be supplied by ten 1.25 MW wind-turbines. Carbon offsets generated from the turbines are being managed by NativeEnergy, and have been purchased by charter supporters including Ben & Jerry's, Clif Bar, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Stonyfield Farm.^[14]

Geography

Marine One, carrying President George W. Bush, flies over Greensburg after the destructive tornado.

Greensburg is located at (37.604316, -99.293488).^[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all of it land.^[1]

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,574 people, 730 households, and 453 families residing in the city.^[1] The population density was 1,055.9 people per square mile (407.9/km²). There were 887 housing units at an average density of 595.0/sq mi (229.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.01% White, 0.83% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population.

There were 730 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,438, and the median income for a family was $39,188. Males had a median income of $28,426 versus $20,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,054. About 8.4% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

Greensburg's arts center, constructed after the tornado to environmentally stringent LEED Platinum standards. The facility integrates its own solar panels and wind generators for energy self-sufficiency.

The S.D. Robinett Building, the only building in downtown Greensburg to survive the tornado

Greensburg is home to the world's largest hand dug well. Work had begun on the well in 1887 to provide water for the steam engines of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. When the well was completed in 1888 it was 109 feet (33 m) deep and 32 feet (9.8 m) in diameter. The well was used as the city's water supply until 1932. In 1939 it was opened as a tourist attraction allowing visitors to descend to the bottom of the well. The adjacent museum displayed a 1000-pound pallasite meteorite until the museum fell down around the meteorite during a 2007 tornado that destroyed the city. The Well was not destroyed, and the meteorite was found in the rubble of the museum and moved to a temporary home in Wichita before Greensburg could reclaim it.^[16][17]

On October 16, 2006, a related smaller meteorite measuring 154 pounds (70 kilograms) was dug up near Greensburg (5 miles (8.0 km)) and Haviland (4 miles (6.4 km)). The only scientific publication discussing time of impact suggests a terrestrial age of 20,000 years.^[18] It was once thought that its age was closer to 10,000 years.^[19]

Prior to the 2007 tornado, there once stood Twilight Theatre, which first showed movies in 1915; and the downtown drug store, which featured an old soda fountain. Both of these were later destroyed in the tornado.

Greensburg serves as a time station for the annual Race Across America, a 3,000 miles (4,800 km) transcontinental bicycle race.

Transportation

• U.S. Route 54^[20]
• U.S. Route 183
• U.S. Route 400
• Paul Windle Municipal Airport.^[21]

Television

Several television networks have drawn an interest in Greensburg as a subject for reality shows as a result of the Greensburg City Council's decision to make the city a 'green' town. A documentary on its reconstruction, called Greensburg, aired on Planet Green, a sister network of Discovery Channel.

Another documentary, Earth 2100, drew attention to Greensburg as "the green town" that was built after the devastating 2007 tornado. The ABC film suggested a fictionalized, future Greensburg as a model showing how American towns can successfully implement green technology, and become a beacon for hope on a planet doomed to destruction from climate change and overpopulation.

Notable natives

• Manvel H. Davis, lost to Harry S. Truman in 1940 senatorial campaign
• Dennis McKinney, Kansas State Treasurer

See also

Information on this and other cities in Kansas

• List of cities in Kansas
• Kansas locations by per capita income

Other information for Kansas

• List of counties in Kansas
• List of unified school districts in Kansas
• List of colleges and universities in Kansas

• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

References

External links

Official sites

• Greensburg, Kansas
• The Big Well and Pallasite Meteorite
• Kiowa County Signal (local newspaper)
• Wichita Eagle tornado coverage (updates, stories, photos, etc.)
• Greensburg GreenTown (official site of the Green Initiative)

Additional information

• Aerials of Greensburg Tornado Damage
• Interactive Map of Greensburg Tornado Damage
• [http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonperson/sets/72157600245914694/ Photos of Greensburg Recovery Efforts
• Sustainable Master Plan.
• Greensburg USD 422 (Web site)

Municipalities and communities of Kiowa County, Kansas County seat: Greensburg Cities Greensburg | Haviland | Mullinville Township Kiowa Rural Unincorporated communities Belvidere | Wellsford