Greensburg, Kansas
Greensburg is a city in, Kiowa County, Kansas, United States.[1] It is also the county seat of Kiowa County. In 2020, 740 people lived there.[3]
 | |
 Location within Kiowa County and Kansas | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 37°36′18″N 99°17′22″W / 37.60500°N 99.28944°WCoordinates: 37°36′18″N 99°17′22″W / 37.60500°N 99.28944°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Kiowa |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Incorporated | 1886 |
| Named for | D.R. Green |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.79 sq mi (4.63 km2) |
| • Land | 1.79 sq mi (4.63 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,234 ft (681 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 740 |
| • Density | 413/sq mi (159.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 67054 |
| FIPS code | 20-28675 |
| GNIS ID | 485585[1] |
| Website | greensburgks.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.[4][5][6][7][8]
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
At 9:45 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2007, during a deadly tornado outbreak,[9] 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.[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 tornado killed 10 people in Greensburg and two more in neighboring towns.[13]
Geography
Greensburg is at 37°36′18″N 99°17′22″W / 37.604875°N 99.289569°W (37.604875, -99.289569).[1] The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of 1.79 square miles (4.64 km2). All of it is land.[2]
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 515 | ||
| 1900 | 343 | −33.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,199 | 249.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,215 | 1.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,338 | 10.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,417 | 5.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,723 | 21.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,988 | 15.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,907 | −4.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,885 | −1.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,792 | −4.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,574 | −12.2% | |
| 2010 | 777 | −50.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
The 2020 census says that there were 740 people, 329 households, and 176 families living in Greensburg. Of the households, 60.5% owned their home and 39.5% rented their home.
The median age was 44.4 years. Of the people, 88.6% were White, 2.3% were Black, 1.8% were Asian, 0.5% were Pacific Islanders, 0.3% were Native American, 0.4% were from some other race, and 6.1% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the people.[3][14]
2010 census
The 2010 census[15] 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.[16]
Greensburg, Kansas Media
Big Well Museum & Visitor Info Center
Big Well Stairs
FEMA recovery meeting about 1 month after the tornado.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Greensburg, Kansas
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Man Dies Months After Kansas Tornado Hit". Yahoo!. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2007-09-25.[dead link]
- ↑ "List of victims | Offer your thoughts | Wichita Eagle". Archived from the original on 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
- ↑ "Officer Injured in Kan. Tornado Dies". Guardian Unlimited. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08.[dead link]
- ↑ "Police Officer Injured In Tornado Dies". KAKE-TV. 2007-05-09. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ↑ http://www.pratttribune.com/articles/2007/05/07/news/00.txt
- ↑ On the Road — Tornado Alley. http://www.independent.com/news/2008/mar/28/road-tornado-alley/. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
- ↑ NOAA Satellite and Information Service. "Event Record Details". Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ↑ KAKE-TV. "President Bush Declares Disaster in Kansas". Archived from the original on 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ↑ "Man Dies Months After Kansas Tornado Hit". U.S.A. Today. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
- ↑ "P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
- ↑ "USD 422". USD 422. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
Other websites
Official sites
2007 tornado
- Damage: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3
- Recovery: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4 Archived 2012-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, Article 5 Archived 2012-07-09 at the Wayback Machine
- Before: Photos before 2007 tornado
- Greensburg - 5 Years Later at YouTube, from Hatteberg's People on KAKE TV news
Other sites
- The Big Well and Pallasite Meteorite
- Kiowa County Signal
- USD 422, local school district
- Greensburg City Map