Clockwise from top: A still taken of the large tornado as it appeared at night while impacting Greensburg, a heavily damaged house in Greensburg, radar imagery of the storm system that produced the tornado, workers helping cleanup efforts in Greensburg, damage to downtown Greensburg, which took a direct hit from the tornado.
The tornado touched down south of Greensburg at around 9:03p.m. CDT,[note 1] moving to the north while continuing to widen. It eventually entered Kiowa County,crossing U.S. Route 183,before reaching a peak width of 1.7 miles (2.7km) to the south of Greensburg,entering the city after making a northwest turn. The tornado heavily damaged Greensburg;662structures in the town sustained some form of damage. The tornado dissipated northwest of Greensburg after being on the ground for just over an hour.
95% of the town was damaged or destroyed and the tornado left monetary losses of $250million (2007USD)[note 2] in its wake. Kiowa County,the county in which Greensburg is located,was declared a federal disaster area in the immediate aftermath. Rebuilding efforts were intensive,and several major federal government agencies collaborated with state agencies to help restore the town with the goal of making it a "green town" using a long-term community recovery (LTCR) plan. The plan included requiring all buildings in Greensburg to gain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum (LEED platinum) certification,the highest rating a building can achieve in the LEED program by utilizing sustainable design in energy,[4][5] along with installing wind turbines in the city. The Kiowa County Memorial Hospital,which was destroyed by the tornado,was the first hospital in the United States to achieve carbon neutrality following its rebuilding in 2010.
The tornado greatly affected the economy and population of Greensburg. The town has difficulty attracting residents due to the cost of homes in the area,although it has become a point of interest among eco-tourists visiting to see the "green town" built by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's LTCR plan.
Climatological background
Tornadoes are common in the state of Kansas,with an average of 87 tornadoes touching down in an average year. Kansas sees the second-highest number of tornadoes within its state-boundaries in an average year,behind only Texas,which sees 124 on average.[6] Kansas is located in Tornado Alley,[7] the region of the United States in which the most tornadoes occur.[8] Cold and dry air from the Rocky Mountains and the West Coast of the United States drops into Tornado Alley,while moist subtropical air is pulled inward from the Gulf of Mexico. The cold air pushes under the warm and moist air,pushing it upward;[9] this updraft leads to the development of thunderstorms.[10]
Kansas has experienced seven F5 or EF5 tornadoes since 1950,the highest number recorded in any U.S. state. Research conducted by meteorologist and tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis concluded that F5-rated tornadoes have struck Kansas since 1895.[7] Kansas has an estimated 4.4 tornadoes per 100 square miles (260km2),the third-highest in the nation,after Oklahoma and Florida.[11]
The most intense supercell thunderstorms developed in the early evening hours of May 4 across northwestern Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas. One of these eventually produced at least 20to 22tornadoes,including the Greensburg tornado and its respective satellite tornadoes.[12][13][14] The day's first supercells developed near the Kansas-Oklahoma border,to the south and southeast of Dodge City,at around 7:30p.m.[15] Over the next hour,cells combined into one large supercell near U.S. Route 183.[15] At around 8:30p.m.,storm spotters began reporting wall clouds (cloud formations typically occurring at the base of thunderstorms),[16][17] with the first well-defined funnel clouds being observed around 8:45 p.m;small tornadoes touched down from that time to around 15 minutes later.[18] At 9:25p.m.,a well-defined hook echo,a radar signature often indicative of a mesocyclone within a thunderstorm,was located in southern Kiowa County.[19][20] This hook echo was accompanied by the Greensburg tornado,which touched down at 9:03p.m. south of Greensburg.[21][22]
Tornado summary
The tornado warning,seen as a red polygon,that was issued for Greensburg before the tornado struck the town
Formation and track towards Greensburg
The rotating supercell that later produced the Greensburg tornado was accompanied by several short-tracked tornadoes.[23] The Greensburg tornado itself,located on the westernmost side of the mesocyclone,began to rapidly strengthen shortly after touching down at 9:03p.m.[24][22]
As the main tornado continued through rural areas,oil tanks were destroyed,and oil strewn across pastures and a road.[26] The very large tornado continued to grow in size as it approached the city of Greensburg from the south. The tornado then reached its maximum width of 1.7 miles (2.7km) as determined by damage.[27] At 9:41p.m.,the National Weather Service office in Dodge City issued a tornado emergency for Greensburg,stating that "a violent tornado was on a direct path for portions of Greensburg ... this is an emergency situation for Greensburg".[28]
Impact in Greensburg
Reflectivity (left) and velocity (right) imagery taken by a NEXRAD radar of the tornado,indicated as a purple and later red triangle,approaching Greensburg from the south before dissipating. A distinct hook echo is visible in the reflectivity imagery. A second triangle to the northeast of Greensburg indicates an extremely large second tornado that moved through areas near Trousdale and received an EF3 rating.
The tornado weakened slightly as it entered residential areas in southern Greensburg,but remained violent,at EF4intensity,as it directly impacted Delmer Day Elementary School,completely leveling a section of the building.[29] Continuing north,the tornado completely devastated downtown Greensburg;the Greensburg City Hall and many other businesses suffered visible damage,[30][31] including Fleener's Furniture Store,Dillon's Grocery Store,[32] and Sutton's True Value Hardware Store.[33] A motel on the west side of town was severely damaged and vehicles were rolled and lofted by the tornado.[34] A Daylight Donuts coffee shop and the local bank were heavily damaged or destroyed by the tornado.[35] Three schools were destroyed and electrical service to the city was cut by the tornado.[36]
A large grain elevator in the northern part of Greensburg remained standing after being hit by the tornado,one of a few structures to survive the event.[37] The Greensburg meteorite was found and recovered under a wall in the building which had previously housed it.[38] The Greensburg Mennonite Church was also destroyed.[39] Trees throughout the town were completely stripped of all bark,the greatest number of debarked trees being located near homes that sustained EF4damage.[40] EF5 damage was determined to have been inflicted to seven residences throughout Greensburg proper.[41]
A damage survey conducted by Timothy P. Marshall,Joshua Wurman,and several other experts found that a total of 53homes had slid off of brick foundations that anchored the homes to the ground.[42] 194homes sustained EF0damage;many of these homes were located along the outer path of the tornado on the east and west side of town.[43] The survey also concluded that damage on the tornado's east side was more severe than damage of that on its west side.[44]
Damage to a home in Greensburg
As the tornado exited the city limits of Greensburg,it began to weaken. It turned to the northwest,tracking in a counterclockwise circular direction;the tornado dissipated in a farm field to the northwest of Greensburg at 10:05p.m.;it had been on the ground for one hour and two minutes.[22][45][46] Overall,95% of Greensburg was damaged or destroyed.[47] A total of 961homes and businesses were destroyed,216received major damage and 307received minor damage.[48] The National Weather Service rated the worst of the damage caused by the tornado at EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF scale),[22] which is used to rate and assess tornado damage.[49] The tornado was the first to be rated EF5on the EF scale after the retirement of the original Fujita scale in the United States on February 1,2007;[50][49] an EF5 rating is determined via a tornado damage survey.[51] The tornado was described by meteorologist Howard Bluestein as "likely the most intense since the tornado that struck Oklahoma City and Moore,Oklahoma,on 3 May 1999".[52] The Greensburg tornado was followed by multiple other tornadoes that night across southern Kansas,although none struck heavily-populated areas and inflicted damage to the degree that was observed in Greensburg.[53]
Satellite tornadoes
During the early stages of the tornado's life,videos and later research showed that at least five confirmed satellite tornadoes existed around the main tornado.[54] Two of these satellites were anticyclonic tornadoes,[55] which rotate clockwise instead of the counter-clockwise motion that most tornadoes in the Northern Hemisphere exhibit.[56] A University of Massachusetts team,observing the storm using a mobile radar system,detected five satellites that were determined to have been related to the Greensburg tornado.[55] One of these satellite tornadoes likely crossed over the same damage path produced by the main tornado.[57] The largest satellite tornado was located around 1.85 miles (3.0km) southeast of the main tornado.[58]
List of confirmed satellites of the Greensburg tornado - May 4,2007[54]
The National Weather Service issued advance warnings of the tornado that were sent out to the public up to 39minutes before the tornado hit Greensburg.[59] The warnings were upgraded to a rare tornado emergency 10to 12minutes before the tornado hit;storm chaser Lance Ferguson had relayed to the National Weather Service that a large tornado was on the ground near Greensburg.[60]NBC News noted that some Greensburg residents said the warnings saved their lives and that more people may have died had the warnings not been issued so far in advance,as the warnings gave time for residents to move to their shelters before the tornado destroyed the town.[61]
Jay Prater covered the storm for the KAKEland Television Network,[62] while Dave Freeman broadcast coverage on KSN.[39] One survivor of the tornado stated that Freeman's coverage had saved his life,[39] and several survivors took shelter because of the broadcast. Freeman was praised for his live coverage of the event and as a result was named as the National Weather Association's Broadcaster of the Year for 2008,[63][64] his second time winning the award after receiving it in 1992.[63]
Aftermath
Damage to downtown Greensburg a month after the tornado
95% of structures in Greensburg were damaged or destroyed.[65][66] Around 800,000 cubic yards (610,000m3) of tornado-related debris was removed from Greensburg from 2007 to April 2008.[67] Initial recovery attempts in the days following the tornado were constrained by the disruption of electricity and by other hazardous conditions that made it difficult to clean up the town.[68]PresidentGeorge W. Bush declared a disaster area in the state of Kansas.[69] Immediately after the tornado,the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dispatched on-scene coordinators to Greensburg;the agency was tasked with addressing fuel releases and mitigating damaged transformers.[70] The EPA left Greensburg in June 2007,a little over a month after the tornado,although it remained on standby.[71]
The town's economy was still affected by the tornado ten years after the event;it has seen trouble attracting residents because of homes being sold in Greensburg at higher prices than those in neighboring towns.[72] According to a 2015 study,"24 businesses were critically damaged by the tornado,and 110 were damaged beyond repair".[73]
5.4.7 Arts Center
The 5.4.7 Arts Center,seen in 2009
The 5.4.7 Arts Center,named after the date the tornado occurred,[74][75] opened on June 16,2008,and is the first sustainable LEED-platinum building in the state of Kansas and the first in history to be built by students.[76][77] The building's wood siding was sourced from the World War II-era Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in eastern Kansas. During a 2010-2011 study by the United States Department of Energy,it was found that the building saved 70% in energy costs compared to typical buildings of its type.[77]
Delmer Day Elementary School and Greensburg High School
EF4-rated damage to the Delmer Day Elementary School,located in southeastern Greensburg.
Delmer Day Elementary School,located in the southeast portion of Greensburg,was the subject of an in-depth damage survey,which detailed how the school collapsed. Similarly to the Greensburg High School,strong winds initiated a collapse on the school's south and east-facing walls.[78] A lack of steel vertical columns along the school's window sills,accompanied by weak hinge lines,was concluded to have led to the collapse. Like the high school,damage inflicted to the school was eventually given an EF4rating.[79]
EF4-rated damage to the Greensburg High School
Greensburg High School,located around one block east of the tornado's inflow,was heavily damaged.[80] As the tornado moved through the area,northward-facing winds battered the building,causing the top floor of the main building and the southern wall of an adjacent building to collapse inward. The east-facing walls of the high school also collapsed inward;the west-facing walls collapsed in an outward direction due to the movement of wind. In a damage survey conducted after the tornado,it was found that the building's large window sills anchored by hinge lines were unable to hold up against high winds,resulting in the collapse.[81] Damage to the high school received an EF4 rating.[82]
Both Greensburg High School and Delmer Day Elementary School were so heavily damaged that they were no longer usable as public education facilities for Greensburg;school was canceled for the remainder of the calendar school year as a result.[83] Schooling was temporarily done in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-provided trailers. Greensburg Schools superintendent Darin Headrick stated that "Our biggest concern was that if we didn't have a school in town as quickly as possible,people would not have a reason to move back";[84] a permanent countywide school began to serve Greensburg in 2010.[84]
Greensburg City Hall
Greensburg City Hall was rebuilt between 2008 and 2009,to LEED Platinum standards.[85] The rebuilt building was constructed partially using salvaged bricks from a destroyed diesel-generator plant.[86] The building is the only in Greensburg with an open-loop geothermal system,[85] a heat pump system that uses groundwater as the heat transfer fluid for a heat pump.[87] Several other buildings in Greensburg use the closed-loop variant,which transfers heat by circulating fluid through a closed network of pipes. The open-loop system was chosen for the City Hall because it was the most affordable option.[85]
Kiowa County Courthouse and Sheriff's Office
The Kiowa County Courthouse and Sheriff's House was one of two historic buildings to have survived the tornado,[88] although it still suffered damage. Although the option to tear down the structure did exist,Kiowa County chose to renovate the building to an LEED Gold standard.[89] The renovated,three-story building features high-performance windows,spray foam insulation and a ground-source heat pump.[89]
Kiowa County Memorial Hospital
Damage to the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital
The Kiowa County Memorial Hospital had been reinforced with internal vertical steel beams that extended along the floors and ceilings,along with double-thick masonry walls. Despite this,the hospital sustained heavy damage,and a 9,900-pound (4,500kg) steel beam was lifted from the hospital's frame and lofted onto a vehicle to the hospital's northeast.[90] The tornado also tore off the roof of the hospital,collapsed the walls of the building,and scattered medical equipment around. Staff and patients in the structure took shelter in a basement and as a result were unharmed.[91]
The hospital was unable to be used as a care facility as a result of the tornado. A secondary care location was set up at the Heart to Heart International trailers in Olathe,Kansas. Recovery efforts began immediately following the tornado;workers at the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital decided to begin rebuilding the hospital within 24hours of its destruction.[92]
S.D. Robinett Building
The historic S. D. Robinett Building survived the tornado.[88] Built in 1915,it was the only building in the downtown portion of Greensburg and one of two historic buildings in town that was deemed to have not been destroyed in the tornado. The structure underwent a $124,653 rehabilitation,which included the installation of energy-efficient windows to replace windows broken in the tornado,and bamboo flooring;the brick parapet had to be rebuilt and damage to the building's interior needed to be addressed.[93] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 1,2010,and the renovated building features an open floor plan,energy-efficient appliances,and spray-foam insulation.[94]
Tornado Damage Investigation,Greensburg,Kansas
Map of tornado damage in Greensburg produced from the survey
The Federal Emergency Management Agency made two visits to Greensburg in May 2007,following the tornado. During these visits,structural engineers with the URS Corporation conducted a damage survey separate from the one made by engineers with the Haag Company. The survey studied 46residential structures in Greensburg that were damaged in varying degrees. The damage survey found that zero public tornado shelters were located in Greensburg;[95] people took cover from the tornado in other shelters and cellars.[96] The survey recommended that two new Degree of Damage (DOD) indicators be added to the Enhanced Fujita Scale,in addition to the 23existing indicators:to evaluate the scale of damage to load-bearing masonry buildings and timber-frame buildings,[97] although neither have been implemented as of September 2025.[51]
UMass X-Pol observations
The UMass X-POL instrument (white radar dish,right) seen in 2009 during the VORTEX projects
The UMass X-Pol (X-band,mobile,polarimetric Doppler radar),an X bandpulse-Doppler radar system with a 1.2-inch (3.0cm) wavelength installed on a modified Ford F-350 pickup truck,observed the storm.[98] The observation aimed to document the early stages of the Greensburg tornado's life.[99] The study was noted as being one of a few ever conducted to observe both an EF5-rated tornado and two separate storm modes,which refers to the meso-beta-scale organizational characteristics into a severe storm.[100][101]
Rebuilding efforts and reactions
Temporary housing sites in Greensburg that were set up by FEMA in the immediate aftermath of the tornado,dubbed "Femaville" by some residents
Following the tornado,many families signed up to reside in the 200temporary housing units aligned in rows,[102] or "FEMA shelters" provided by FEMA,where residents lived for up to eighteen months.[103] 500of the 750residents who remained in the town lived in these housing sites,dubbed "Femaville" by some residents of Greensburg. The temporary housing units came equipped with items such as blankets and dishes to help living conditions while recovery efforts were underway.[104] Schools and other public buildings in the neighboring towns of Mullinvile,Bucklin,and Haviland were also used as temporary shelters for victims of the tornado;[105] the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement set up three shelters in Mullinville,one in Haviland and one in Bucklin.[106] As well as providing shelter,FEMA declared that it would pay for 100% of cleanup costs after the event,[107] including at least $7.6million for housing assistance and almost $10million for repairing infrastructure in the town.[108] FEMA also hired 21Greensburg residents to work in recovery positions;[109] 7,604volunteers registered by AmeriCorps worked to help with recovery efforts.[110] Volunteers logged a total of 57,786volunteer hours.[111]
Then-President George W. Bush visited Greensburg twice following the tornado to survey damage.[112] In a speech he made during his first visit to Greensburg,Bush said:"There is a lot of destruction. Fortunately,a lot of folks had basements here in this part of the world and lived to see another day. Unfortunately,too many died."[113] Almost 500soldiers from the United States National Guard were deployed to Greensburg to aid with recovery efforts,and the crews provided machinery and communications for the area.[114] In April 2009,then-U.S. representative Jerry Moran introduced the Greensburg,Kansas Recovery Extension Act to extend recovery funds through June 2010. The legislation died in committee and was never voted on by the House of Representatives.[115]
Long-term community recovery plan
New wood-framed homes being constructed in Greensburg
Shortly after the tornado,Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius stated that she wanted Greensburg to be "the greenest city in the state".[116] FEMA activated the Long-term community recovery (LTCR) program,[117] which was designed to help recovery efforts in Greensburg over time.[118] The United States Department of Energy (USDoE) collaborated with other agencies during the rebuilding process. The Greensburg Wind Farm was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory;it would consist of ten 1.25-megawatt wind turbines.[119]
One of the most critical issues that Greensburg residents faced was finding a way to return to their homes;[120] the LTCR prioritized rebuilding of housing units in Greensburg.[121] The town's economy was significantly affected by the tornado;the LTCR aimed to combat that decline by preparing an Economic Development Strategy (EDS).[122] The goal of the EDS was to not only boost Greensburg's economy,but to also encourage people to move to the town.[123]
The rebuilt "Big Well" museum in 2013
Along with changes to Greensburg's energy sources,the LTCR also required that all buildings built within the city limits of Greensburg meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certifications.[124][125] A tornado-resistant "silo home" built within Greensburg attracted attention after the structure was completed in 2009;journalist Jennifer Goodman wrote in a September 2009publication of Architect Magazine that "the tiny town in Kansas once ravaged by a tornado is drawing eco-tourists from all over the world ...". The publication also noted that 400tourists from as far away as Europe visited Greensburg from July to September 2007over a period of two months.[126]
Although the hand-dug,109 feet (33m)-deep Big Well was not destroyed,its respective water tower and an above-ground gift shop that were a centerpiece of the town's history were destroyed in the tornado.[127][128][129] The original building was replaced with a circular structure that includes exhibits showcasing the town's history before and after the tornado;the museum reopened on May 26,2012.[130] Caitlin Matile,who was the tourism director and manager of Greensburg at the time of the museum's reopening,stated:"we do a very good job of displaying things ... what it was,what it is now";new stairs were added into the well to let visitors reach the bottom.[130]
The rebuilt Big Well Water Tower in May 2008 (left) and May 2010 (right). By 2010,the water tower was surrounded by rebuilt buildings.
Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) was tasked with designing the new tower,which took 45days;construction was completed by Maguire Iron in 172days.[131] The water tower was declared complete in May 2008,after having its exterior coated with approximately 165 U.S. gallons (620L) of Series 700HydroFlon,a protective thermosettingfluoropolymer designed for use on water towers.[132]
The Kiowa County Memorial Hospital was the only building that was an exception to the LEED Platinum requirement,although the hospital later attained the certification.[124][125] The new hospital opened in March 2010,at a cost of approximately $25million (2010USD) and at a different location in town.[133][124][134] The hospital became the first in the United States to operate using carbon neutral energy.[135] In 2012,the hospital became the first to use entrapped rainwater to run water-based utilities,such as toilets.[136] The rebuilt hospital is equipped with fifteen beds,two trauma rooms,and other rooms included in typical hospitals,[137] while using renewable energy to maintain safety and functionality standards.[138] Two 50-kilowatt wind turbines were installed on the site of the hospital to further reduce fossil fuel usage.[139]
County and state-level mitigation
Kiowa County
Greensburg (top,highlighted in red) is located in Kiowa County (bottom,highlighted in orange),which is located in the state of Kansas
Due to Greensburg's size,the city did not have its own emergency services at the time of the tornado;those services were provided by Kiowa County.[140] The county employed a part-time emergency manager who was responsible for the entire county's emergency plan in case of a disaster.[141] Before the tornado,the county relied on an informational pamphlet from the 1990s as its emergency action plan;the pamphlet reportedly provided inadequate information in the event of a significant disaster.[142] The pamphlet itself was lost during the tornado and was never located.[143]
State of Kansas
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 required the state of Kansas to outline policies and requirements for cities regarding county and city-level mitigation.[144] The plan,released in November 2004 and titled the Kansas Hazard Mitigation Plan (KMHP),stated that "mitigation be addressed in the required comprehensive emergency management plan developed by each county";Kiowa County did not meet this requirement at the time and no punitive action was taken by the state of Kansas to enforce the requirement.[145] The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) led the state of Kansas to establish the Kansas Commission on Emergency Planning and Response (KCEPR),which was formed to ensure that the EPCRA was being followed.[146] The KCEPR specifically focused on addressing emergencies involving hazardous industrial materials,[147] but was later adopted by local emergency planning committees to address community-level hazards.[148]
Casualties
List of fatalities directly attributed to the tornado[149]
Twelve people were killed by the tornado.[152][153][154] Ten of the fatalities occurred immediately during the tornado, and two others occurred later in hospitals as a result of tornadic injuries.[155] One of the two in-hospital deaths was a police officer who was taken off life support while being treated for a tornado-induced head injury hours after the event, at a hospital in Wichita.[156][157] Emergency management officials in Greensburg expected to need "hundreds of body bags".[158]
A shelter in Mullenville established by residents following the tornado
Approximately 90 people were taken to hospitals within the first day following the tornado. Greensburg's main hospital, the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, was destroyed by the tornado; those who were injured had to be treated in several nearby cities with functional hospitals, including Dodge City, Pratt, Kinsley, and Wichita.[159] The Pratt Regional Medical Center in Pratt received the most tornado patients of any hospital in the area, 59 people being transferred to the facility for treatment.[160] Six patients who were already being treated for unrelated injuries at the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital before the tornado were transferred to the Comanche County Hospital, although none sustained tornadic injuries.[161][162]
A study carried out by the University of Kansas Health System in April 2013concluded that the critical mortality rate, a measure of the number of deaths in a certain population, from the tornado was 18% and that age was related to the degree of injuries sustained from the tornado.[163]
Legacy
The tornado and its aftermath have been featured in two television series: Greensburg, created by actor Leonardo DiCaprio and which documents the aftermath of the tornado; and the miniseries Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg.[164] Depictions of the event are also present in several pieces of literature, including The Greening of Oz by author Robert Fraga.[164] In the book, Fraga writes: "The reconstruction is nearly complete, and it's a model for towns everywhere in this country. A new town has grown up out of the prairie with a spectacular collection of public buildings".[164]
Radar imagery of an EF3 tornado that prompted a tornado emergency for Greensburg on May 18, 2025
Other tornadoes
Greensburg has seen other tornadoes around its borders, before and after the 2007 tornado. On May 22, 1923, an F3-rated tornado grazed the edge of town, injuring eight people and affecting 40 homes.[165] On June 16, 1928, an F2 tornado tracked 40 miles (64km)[note 3] through areas west and south of Greensburg, injuring two people.[167] In April 2012, a large EF3 tornado, described by the National Weather Service as "eerily similar to the Greensburg tornado",[168] developed west of Greensburg and moved towards Macksville, crossing over areas that had been hit during the 2007 tornado.[168] On May 18, 2025, amid a destructive tornado outbreak across the region, a strong EF3 tornado moved through areas south and east of Greensburg, prompting a tornado emergency for the town,[169] the second time in Greensburg's history that one had been issued.[170] The tornado damaged the community of Brenham, although no fatalities or injuries were recorded.[171] Television station KAKE described the tornado as "stirring up painful memories" of the 2007 tornado.[172]
↑ Fox 2013. "Roughly nine minutes later, the EF-5 tornado thereafter known as the Greensburg Tornado (2007), would enter its eponymous town from the southwest."
↑ Tanamachi 2011, p.53. "Lemon & Umschied 2008 reported at least 22 separate tornadoes spawned from the Greensburg storm based on surveyed tornado damage tracks."
1 2 Smith 2008, p.2. "Fifty years later, on May 4, 2007, a cluster of thunderstorms developed near and just north of the Oklahoma-Kansas border south southeast of Dodge City about 7:30pm. During the next hour, the activity consolidated so that, by 8:45pm a large supercell was located southeast of Dodge City along U.S. Highway 183 that was just beginning to produce tornadoes."
↑ Smith 2008, pp.2–3. "At 8:30pm ... It was at this approximate time that storm spotters in the area began reporting rotating wall clouds."
↑ Smith 2008, p.3. "The first well-defined funnel clouds were reported around 8:45 with small tornadoes touching down between 8:45 and 9pm."
↑ "NOAA's National Weather Service - Glossary". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 19, 2025. A radar reflectivity pattern characterized by a hook-shaped extension of a thunderstorm echo, usually in the right-rear part of the storm (relative to its direction of motion). A hook often is associated with a mesocyclone, and indicates favorable conditions for tornado development.
↑ Smith 2008, p.3. "The tornado that would later strike Greensburg is on the ground under the hook (mesocyclone) and was destroying farm homes at this time."
↑ Lemon & Umschied 2008, Section 2.4. "It was also during this period that these multiple updrafts, BWERs, and mesocyclones produced brief and short track tornadoes."
↑ Lemon & Umschied 2008, Section 2.4. "The tornado gradually ... grew in size ... then becoming a broad truncated cone or 'wedge' shaped tornado."
↑ "Greensburg marks 15 years since deadly EF-5 tornado". KAKE. May 2, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2025. 'It destroyed the vast majority of homes and businesses and infrastructure here in the city, and we had to rebuild pretty much from scratch,' Christenson said.
↑ "Greensburg residents wait on word from Dillons". The Manhattan Mercury. June 18, 2007. p.3.
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "However, the vast majority of vehicles had been breached by flying debris ... of which 48 vehicles were rolled, tumbled, or lofted."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "We found debarked trees adjacent to homes at all EF-scale levels ... the greatest number of debarked trees occurring near homes with EF-4ratings."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "We encountered 53 homes that slid off their brick foundations."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "EF-0 damage occurred to 194 homes. These homes were located on the periphery of the damage track, along the east and west edges of the town."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "As expected, the degree of damage to homes was more severe on the east side of the tornado track than on the west side."
↑ "Top Ten KS Tornadoes". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2024. It curved north, then northwest, then made a complete loop 2miles northwest of Greensburg as it dissipated.
↑ Lemon & Umschied 2008, Section 2.4. "First, the tornado movement had changed markedly to northwest as it moved through Greensburg. Second, the tornado was shrinking in size and had begun to actually loop back on itself as it passed through the town."
1 2 "Top Ten KS Tornadoes". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2025. This monstrous vortex went down in history as the first tornado to be rated EF5on the new Enhanced Fujita Scale with windspeeds that were estimated at 205mph.
↑ "The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale)". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024. The Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF Scale, which became operational on February 1, 2007, is used to assign a tornado a 'rating' based on estimated wind speeds and related damage.
↑ Bluestein 2009, p.899. "likely the most intense since the tornado that struck Oklahoma City and Moore, Oklahoma, on 3 May 1999"
↑ Bluestein 2009, p.899. "Other tornadoes, some also significant, tracked across portions of southern Kansas, but fortunately did not strike any heavily populated areas and did not inflict damage as extensive as that inflicted at Greensburg."
1 2 Tanamachi 2011, Section 2.4. "Tornado 5 had at least five satellite tornadoes, two of which were anticyclonic, as well as several more accompanying non-tornadic circulations detected by UMass X-Pol."
↑ Lemon & Umschied 2008, Section 2.4. "This satellite vortex surface contact was probably over the same damage path created minutes before by the GT, but at this time we are not certain we have visual confirmation owing to uncertainty in time and video location."
↑ Lemon & Umschied 2008, Section 2.4. "The anticyclonic tornado, the largest of the two satellite tornadoes visually, was ~4 km south or south southeast of the GT ... the second (cyclonic) satellite tornado was ~3 km to the east southeast."
↑ Sommerfeld, Rachel (February 22, 2015). "May 4, 2007 tornado devastates Greensburg". KSN-TV. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2025. NOAA forecasters in Dodge City issued a Tornado Warning 39minutes before wedge tornado hit the town.
↑ "KSN says goodbye to Meteorologist Dave Freeman after 24 years". KSN-TV. May 25, 2017. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2025. That vigilance convinced many people to take shelter during the Greensburg tornado and won Dave his second Broadcaster of the Year award in 2008from the National Weather Association.
↑ Hutton 2008, p.1. "Considering that around 800,000 cubic yards of debris had to be removed after the devastation and utilities had to be reconstructed, its amazing what has taken place since last May."
↑ Paul et al. 2007, p.3. "Access was controlled given concerns about looting and complete disruption of water and electricity, but also because of the dangerous cleanup conditions, including leaking hazardous chemicals."
↑ "Site Profile - Greensburg Tornado". Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2025. Initial EPA activities included addressing fuel releases, chlorine cylinders, anhydrous ammonia tanks, propane tanks, and other hazardous materials ... EPA contractors have also assessed damaged transformer recovery locations.
↑ Kroone, Janice (June 10, 2007). "Pollution Report Profile". Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2025. As of June 9, 2007, the EPA team has demobilized from Greensburg. EPA is prepared to offer technical assistance as needed.
↑ Morris, Frank (May 8, 2017). "10 Years After Devastating Tornado, Greensburg, Kansas, Struggles To Move Forward". KCUR. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2025. The town has a hard time attracting employers, because there is no place for new employees to live. People aren't building new places to live, because the town isn't generating jobs. ... That's typical in Greensburg. Houses here are not worth as much as they cost to build. Values remain low, because surrounding towns have plenty of old, empty houses for sale — cheap.
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.32. "24 businesses were critically damaged, and 110 businesses were damaged beyond repair."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "Just as with the High School, the east and west walls were broadsided by the strongest winds and collapsed to the west in the east and south buildings."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "Still, the degree of damage to the Elementary School yielded an EF-4 rating."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "The High School was located about one block east of the convergence line and experienced the strongest winds from the south through east."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, Section 2.4. "Walls in the top story of the main building and south wing were broadsided by the strongest winds and collapsed to the west."
↑ Marshall et al. 2008, p.5. "Still, the degree of damage to the High School yielded an EF-4 rating."
↑ Castillo, Brent (July 31, 2008). "The greening of a critical access hospital". Healthcare Design Magazine. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved February 9, 2025. Its roof and many precast concrete beams were torn off, walls collapsed, and equipment was scattered ... all staff, patients, and some residents remained safe in the basement shelter of the hospital.
↑ Sheldon et al. 2007, Section 2.4. "No "tornado shelters" designed to resist the wind and debris associated with a tornado were identified during this effort."
↑ "Early twister warning probably saved lives". NBC News. The Associated Press. May 7, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2025. The death toll from a tornado that nearly obliterated this farming town climbed to 9 on Monday, but residents said it could have been far worse if not for a warning that gave them time to take shelter in storm cellars and basements.
↑ Sheldon et al. 2007, p.4.1. "Consideration should be given to adding two additional building types to the EF Scale. One would be old load-bearing masonry buildings ... The other building type to add would be timber frame buildings ..."
↑ Tanamachi et al. 2012, p.2106. " Data from the UMass X-Pol have been incorporated in studies of severe storms and tornadoes over the past decade ..."
↑ Tanamachi et al. 2012, p.2104. "The purpose of this study is to document the University of Massachusetts X-band, mobile, polarimetric Doppler radar (UMass X-Pol; Bluestein et al. 2007a) data collected during the early life cycle of the 4 May 2007 Greensburg, Kansas, CTS ..."
↑ Tanamachi et al. 2012, p.2104. "... is one of only a handful to document both an EF-5 tornado and the mode-1 to mode-2 transition with polarimetric observations."
↑ Hegeman, Roxana (September 7, 2007). "FEMA repairing its reputation in Greensburg". Lawrence Journal-World. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2025. ... about 200FEMA mobile homes arranged in neat rows on the outskirts of town ...
↑ Hegeman, Roxana (September 7, 2007). "FEMA repairing its reputation in Greensburg". Lawrence Journal-World. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2025. About 750 residents are left in Greensburg, more than 500 of them living in what residents call "Femaville" – about 200 FEMA mobile homes arranged in neat rows on the outskirts of town, where children play in the newly paved streets ... The men were impressed to find it came furnished complete with linens, blankets, dishes and even cutlery.
↑ Paul et al. 2007, p.16. "Designating public buildings, such as school buildings and hospitals as public shelter, emergency managers provided temporary accommodations for the tornado victims of Greensburg."
↑ Hegeman, Roxana (September 7, 2007). "FEMA repairing its reputation in Greensburg". Lawrence Journal-World. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2025. Not only that, but FEMA announced it would cover 100percent of the town's cleanup costs ...
↑ Hegeman, Roxana (September 7, 2007). "FEMA repairing its reputation in Greensburg". Lawrence Journal-World. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2025. The agency so far has spent $7.6million in Greensburg for housing assistance, ... and almost $10million to help fix infrastructure.
↑ "Bush tours town wiped away by tornado". NBC News. Associated Press. May 9, 2007. Archived from the original on January 5, 2025. Retrieved December 25, 2024. There is a lot of destruction. Fortunately, a lot of folks had basements here in this part of the world and lived to see another day. Unfortunately, too many died," he said.
↑ Greg, Rudl (May 11, 2007). "National Guard cleaning up devastated Kansas town". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024. After this small southwestern Kansas town was leveled by an F5tornado on the evening of May 4, nearly 500Kansas National Guard Airmen and Soldiers were called up and reported for duty.
↑ FEMA 2007, p.33. "One of the greatest needs identified by Greensburg and Kiowa County residents was finding a way to return home."
↑ FEMA 2007, p.33. "The state and other disaster recovery partners have made rebuilding housing one of the highest priorities in Greensburg."
↑ FEMA 2007, p.49. "Prepare an Economic Development Strategy"
↑ FEMA 2007, p.49. "A strong economy and positive business climate will encourage people to stay in Greensburg and Kiowa County and to rebuild what was lost."
1 2 Ferenc, Jeff (June 11, 2015). "Rebuilt hospital serves as model of sustainability". HFM Magazine. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025. Following a 2007tornado, Kiowa County Memorial Hospital comes back stronger than before with a LEED Platinum facility.
↑ Brown, Hannah (July 17, 2020). "The Big Well reopens". Salina Journal. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2025. The above ground facility was destroyed by the May 2007F5tornado ...
↑ "Greensburg marks 15 years since deadly EF-5 tornado". KAKE. May 2, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2025. The Big Well and then there was a farm implement dealer that was hit with a lot of tractors, and with it that damage as well.
↑ "Greensburg Water Tower Reconstruction"(PDF). Tnemec. Retrieved February 8, 2025. ... the new spheroid tank was designed in 45days by Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A. and constructed in 172days by Maguire Iron, Inc.
↑ "Greensburg Water Tower Reconstruction"(PDF). Tnemec. Retrieved February 8, 2025. followed by a finish coat of Series 700 HydroFlon, an advanced thermoset fluoropolymer designed especially for water tanks ... Approximately 165gallons of Tnemec protective coatings were required for the tower ...
↑ Shideler, Karen (March 12, 2010). "Greensburg hospital done". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved February 8, 2025. Greensburg's $25million hospital is opening its doors to the public today ...
↑ Guenther, Robin (December 1, 2015). "Building health". Boston Society for Architecture. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.32. "The city of Greensburg's small size did not allow for the city to employ its own emergency services (fire, police, ambulance, etc.), which were instead provided by the county,"
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.32. "At the time, Kiowa County employed a part-time emergency manager who was responsible for the county's overall emergency plan."
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.32. "... the county relied solely on an informational pamphlet from the early 1990s as its emergency operations plan. According to Stegman, the pamphlet was generic in theme and content, providing inadequate preparation for a significant hazard event."
↑ Jenkins 2015, pp.32–33. "(This pamphlet was lost in the May 4, 2007, tornado and cannot be located for examination or consultation.)"
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.33. "In order to comply with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA), the state of Kansas utilized a detailed standard operating procedure to outline policies and requirements for cities and counties regarding mandatory and voluntary mitigation and preparedness actions."
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.33. "This requirement was not met by Kiowa County, and no enforcement action was taken by the state to ensure compliance."
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.33. "In order to comply with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986, also known as Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, the state of Kansas established the Kansas Commission on Emergency Planning and Response (CEPR) ... CEPR was initially established by Kansas Statute Chapter 48, Article 9, to ensure adherence to the EPCRA ..."
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.33. ... and was specifically focused on addressing dangers related to hazardous industrial materials emergencies."
↑ Jenkins 2015, p.33. "Today, the Kansas CEPR promotes utilizing local emergency planning committees (LEPCs) to address most community hazards ..."
↑ "Kansas officer dies from twister injuries". The Seattle Times. May 9, 2007. Archived from the original on February 24, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025. Officer Robert Tim Buckman was rushing to warn rural residents about the approaching storm when the tornado swept up his squad car and flung it 300 yards into a field.
↑ Ablah et al. 2013, p.90. "On May 4, 2007 an EF5 tornado hit the rural community of Greensburg, KS, destroying 95% of the town and resulting in 12 fatalities."
↑ "Kansas Tornado Death Toll Rises". CBS News. Associated Press. May 8, 2007. Archived from the original on February 23, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025. The death toll from one of the strongest tornadoes to hit the United States in the past eight years climbed to 11 on Tuesday when a critically injured Kansas police officer was removed from life support.
↑ Finger, Stan (March 2, 2008). "Greensburg showed which systems work, which have gaps". The Wichita Eagle. p.8.
↑ Ablah et al. 2013, p.92. "Because KCMH, Greensburg's local hospital, had been destroyed, ... sent to hospitals in other Kansas communities, including Pratt, Dodge City, Kinsley, and Wichita."
↑ Ablah et al. 2013, p.92. "Pratt Regional Medical Center (PRMC) was the most likely receiver of patients ... Fifty-nine patients were treated at PRMC ..."
↑ Ablah et al. 2013, p.92. "Patients who had been at KCMH before the tornado were transferred to Comanche County Hospital, which received a total of 6 swing bed patients from KCMH."
↑ Ablah et al. 2013, p.92. "These 6 patients did not have tornado-related injuries and received care only for their pre-tornado conditions."
↑ Ablah et al. 2013. "Age was found to be related to injury severity, but no relationship between sex and injury severity was found. Critical mortality was found to be 18% for this event."
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