A Disaster Blows Into Town

First a little background:

At 9:45 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2007, during a deadly tornado outbreak, Greensburg, Kansas was hit by an EF5 tornado. The tornado was estimated to be 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in width — wider than the city itself — 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.

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.

I really like to see the small towns along the less-traveled highways. Fact is though, they all pretty much look the same. Mind you there are some real standouts, and perhaps none more noteworthy than Greensburg, Kansas.

I knew something was different as I entered town on Kansas Hwy 400. New buildings all over the place...but not just new, but buildings with presence. Architecturally interesting.

Then there was the Big Well in the middle of the place. I looked here first for answers to what I was seeing all around town. The Big Well is the world's largest hand-dug well (completed in 1888). 109 feet deep and 32 feet in diameter - - deep and big.

The Well survived the winds, the community did not. Still, Greensburg dug deep to carry on, and no structure like the Big Well tells the story better of how a town and its people can recover after a big disaster.

It's a must see location. Visitors can descend into the Big Well via a fantastic spiral staircase. The museum features exhibits about the founding of Greensburg and the digging of the Big Well, the tornado that devastated Greensburg May 4, 2007 and the rebuilding as a sustainable community.

More info at http://www.bigwell.org