Greensburg, Kansas

Greensburg is a city in, Kiowa County, Kansas, United States.[1] It is also the county seat of Kiowa County. In 2010, 777 people lived there.[5] Before the tornado, in 2000, 1,544 people lived there.

Greensburg, Kansas
City and County seat
Greensburg Water Tower (2009)
Greensburg Water Tower (2009)
Location within Kiowa County and Kansas
Location within Kiowa County and Kansas
KDOT map of Kiowa County (legend)
KDOT map of Kiowa County (legend)
Coordinates: 37°36′10″N 99°17′33″W[1]
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountyKiowa
Founded1885
Area
[2]
 • Total1.48 sq mi (3.83 km2)
 • Land1.48 sq mi (3.83 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation
[1]
2,234 ft (681 m)
Population
 (2010)[3]
 • Total777
 • Estimate 
(2016)[4]
771
 • Density530/sq mi (200/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67054
Area code620
FIPS code20-28675 [1]
GNIS ID474258 [1]
WebsiteGreensburgKS.org

In the evening of May 4, 2007, Greensburg was hit by an EF5 tornado that traveled quickly through the area. It destroyed at least 95 percent of the city. It killed eleven people between the ages of 46 and 84.[6][7][8][9][10]

Greensburg today is a model "green town". It is often described as the greenest in America. The hospital, city hall, and school have all been built to the highest certification level issued by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Greensburg is also home to the world's largest hand-dug well.

History

21st century
City center, twelve days after the tornado struck (2007)

At 9:45 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2007, during a deadly tornado outbreak,[11] Greensburg 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). Tornado sirens sounded in the city twenty minutes before the tornado struck, and a tornado emergency was issued, which undoubtedly saved many lives.[12][13]

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and President George W. Bush both declared Kiowa County a disaster area,[14] which opened up the affected areas for national and international aid. The tornado killed 10 people in Greensburg and two more in neighboring towns.[15]

Geography

Greensburg is at 37°36′10″N 99°17′33″W (37.6027963, -99.2926131).[1] The United States Census Bureau says taht the city has a total area of 1.48 square miles (3.83 km2). All of it is land.[2]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1890515—
1900343−33.4%
19101,199249.6%
19201,2151.3%
19301,33810.1%
19401,4175.9%
19501,72321.6%
19601,98815.4%
19701,907−4.1%
19801,885−1.2%
19901,792−4.9%
20001,574−12.2%
2010777−50.6%
2016 (est.)771[4]−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[16]

2010 census

The 2010 census[3] says that there were 777 people, 355 households, and 212 families living in Greensburg.

Education

Greensburg is served by USD 422 Kiowa County Schools. The Kiowa County High School mascot is Mavericks.[17]

References
  1. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) details for Greensburg, Kansas; United States Geological Survey (USGS); October 13, 1978.
  2. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  3. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  5. "2010 City Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  6. "Tornado was an EF-5; FEMA's help expected". The Wichita Eagle. 2007-05-06. Archived from the original on 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  7. "Man Dies Months After Kansas Tornado Hit". Yahoo!. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  8. "List of victims | Offer your thoughts | Wichita Eagle". Archived from the original on 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  9. "Officer Injured in Kan. Tornado Dies". Guardian Unlimited. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  10. "Police Officer Injured In Tornado Dies". KAKE-TV. 2007-05-09. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  11. http://www.pratttribune.com/articles/2007/05/07/news/00.txt
  12. "On the Road — Tornado Alley". Santa Barbara Independent. Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  13. NOAA Satellite and Information Service. "Event Record Details". Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  14. KAKE-TV. "President Bush Declares Disaster in Kansas". Archived from the original on 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  15. "Man Dies Months After Kansas Tornado Hit". U.S.A. Today. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  16. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  17. "USD 422". USD 422. Retrieved 5 January 2017.

Other websites
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Greensburg, Kansas.

Official sites

2007 tornado

Other sites

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