Good Things

Nice News - On the night of May 4, 2007, an EF-5 tornado tore through Greensburg, Kansas, and wiped out 95% of the town, killing 10 residents and injuring many more. Despite the tremendous loss, the small community decided to turn the devastating scenario into an opportunity for a fresh start — they would not only rebuild, but rebuild more sustainably.
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Nearly 20 years later, Greensburg is regarded as one of the greenest towns in the country. It’s run entirely on wind power, and many of the homes feature solar panel rooftops. All new public buildings, including the school, hospital, and courthouse, are also designed to meet the highest level of LEED green building standards.
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“We are a story about a resilient, rural community that came back better and stronger,” resident Dea Corns, who lost her home in the tornado, told CBS News.
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Bigger picture, Greensburg is a blueprint for other towns that have experienced natural disasters, said fellow resident Katelynn Alderfer: “We’ve made an example of what you can do for other places that encounter similar situations. We all have this common thing that we share, this disaster that happened to us. And for the most part, we don’t think about it, we don’t talk about it, but it binds us all together.” See how the town has transformed.