Greensburg Before

Greensburg before EF5 tornado struck.


Greensburg after.

Greensburg after EF5 tornado struck.

Notice that the swimming pool in the upper right is empty in the after photo.

For more (and larger) photos Click Here.



  1. Undissembled says:

    That’s a lot of destroyed trailers.

  2. Gig says:

    Well, it is obvious Greensburg pissed off God. It is for this reason I don’t want to live anywhere near where the servers for dvorak.org are located. It’s just a matter of time.

  3. tallwookie says:

    The FSM strikes again!

  4. Jägermeister says:

    #2 – Well, it is obvious Greensburg pissed off God.

    That’s one of the reason why I’m an Atheist… I don’t want to piss of this God fellow… that way I can live safe and happy life. 😉

  5. joshua says:

    #1…this was a town, with houses and businesses….maybe a trailor or 2. This one may have thrown a glitch in the old adage of tornado’s drawn to trailor parks. 🙂

  6. ECA says:

    At least the Sports filed in the South section is still available.

  7. Ron says:

    Interesting observation about the pool. Although, it may still be empty from winter. I don’t think most pools in the midwest open until around Memorial Day. Sad and amazing destruction. Atheist or not, we should all say a prayer for the people who live(d) there. I’m not sure any of us realize how devastating this can be.

  8. JimR says:

    Ron, statistically most of those people pray regularly. Look what good it did them. If they truly want to avoid that type of catastrophe, should put their faith in nature and move away from tornado alley.

  9. Rob says:

    Tornadoes suck.

  10. Floyd says:

    #9: yes tornadoes suck. #8 has the right idea–move away from tornado alley if possible. I’m an Indiana native, and moved from that state 22 years ago. I haven’t regretted it. An apartment I lived in back in the 70s was destroyed by a tornado in 2003. it’s been rebuilt, but living in a tornado area is dicey.
    As I stated in another post, I drove through Greensburg KS last summer, and it seemed like a nice normal town that hadn’t seen a tornado in a long time. Sad to see this happen to them.

  11. smartalix says:

    Where’s the National Guard when we desparately need them?

    Oh, right, Emperor Dumya sent all our assets off to his idiotic war.

  12. James Hill says:

    So what? I can do the same thing in Sim City.

  13. Matthew says:

    Can I say it? People shouldn’t build houses in the path of tornadoes. They shouldn’t get any help from the government.

  14. ECA says:

    13,
    NO…
    They should BUILD BETTER HOMES…
    concrete bunkers…

  15. Born in Greensburg says:

    I must say I’m shocked at the ignorance of the Dvorak readers. Most of the posts above don’t warrant a response, but it’s safe to say the comments about trailers and “the paths of tornadoes” show an astonishing level of ignorance. Not to wish harm for anyone, but perhaps if you were to experience just a taste of something like this, you could begin to understand. My advice, shut your mouths and open your minds.

  16. Erik Blazynski says:

    How can you blame anyone but Pat Robertson? Clearly he could have asked god not to let this happen.

    -Erik

  17. Wow. I have to say, most people don’t know much about tornadoes. They hit just about every state in the union at some point in time. Kansas isn’t the only place, for sure. And no, there weren’t many trailers in Greensburg. Mostly older brick homes that have stood there for over 115 years, and weathered many strong Kansas storms.

    As for the governor’s comments, re: Iraq, etc. Let’s think about this. She’s part of the same crowd complaining that our troops in Iraq don’t have enough equipment. Have we forgotten that Pres. Clinton is the one who cut the military budget??? Hmm. I don’t know how I feel about the war, but let’s not take the tragedy in Kansas and make it a political issue!

    I grew up there… Yes, there are a lot of God-fearing people. Yes, there are some very “not” godly people. Just like any other town in the world. Did God CAUSE this? No, I don’t think so. Scripture says, “It rains on the just and the unjust.” It’s all about the fact that there are tornadoes in the summer, not about people’s personal lives.

    God bless Kansas and the wonderful people of Greensburg as they begin to rebuild their lives.

  18. greensburg strong and proud says:

    Greensburg is my hometown and i believe that we will rebuild and that people will hopefully come back because I still plan on spending my life there. I think that the people that left negative comments should have to experience an F5 tornado so they know what we went through and know how devestating it is,because the photos don’t do a justice. I believe that we will rebuild and even though it will be brand new I will always love the old Greensburg and it will never be the same.

  19. willywildcat says:

    I would like to reiterate what #18 stated, I live 30 miles east of Greensburg, in Pratt. My family and our home took a direct hit from a tornado in 2002 and everything was destroyed. Until you have lived through it, it’s difficult to understand. I can’t imagine what the people of the gulf coast experienced during and after Katrina, nor can I fully understand what 9/11 was for New Yorkers and those who got the chance to see ground zero. Well, today I was in Greensburg and it left me speechless. I doubt many of you, if any, have seen total destruction like this. I had seen the pics, hell I lived through one, but when you see a complete town almost wiped off the map, it’s humbling. You can literally do a complete 360 and not see a house standing…..just tree trunks of once wonderful cottonwoods that used to cover the town. Please give the people of Greensburg some slack; they’ve had enough to handle rather than having to get online and read some embecilic remarks as stated above.

  20. GHS says:

    I LOVE GREENSBURG!!!! it is the greatist town on earth and the Greensburg Rangers ROK!

  21. Nancy says:

    I spent the past two weeks in Greensburg (where I was born and where my parents and relatives still live) helping people clean up and try to rebuild their lives. These people grow the crops that sustain this country. Let’s show a little respect. Natural disasters can happen anywhere, no place is totally safe. Next time it could be you or people you care about.

  22. Larry says:

    The devistation incurred by the small town of Greensburg is no less a shock and horror to those people than it was to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost everything in Katrina and Rita. So how do I know?? Well…since my wife and I lost 2 homes in Hurricane Katrina, and nearly everything we owned, I think I know and understand. Nearly two years later, and my wife cannot handle going back to the New Orleans area. It’s just too painful. When you loose everything you have to a natural disaster, it refocuses you, makes you take a look at yourself and what’s important. Things can be replaced, but family and friends cannot. When they are gone…they are gone. It makes you appreciate the small things in life.
    Oh…and just when you think the area you live in is safe from any type of disaster…think again. No place is safe…you take your chances no matter where you live.

  23. greensburg4life says:

    no,gig. greensburg did not piss off god. i beilieve everything happens for a reason. and god also did this for a reason. this has is advantages.Greensburg was a great town and it will be when its rebuilt.this has brought our community closer together than it already was. so please respect this comment board and only say appropriate things.

  24. Ominous says:

    To those of you who think that Greensburg deserved this for pissing off God… You have yet to see the destruction to come.

    To the people who thinks this is a joke or no big deal?

    Try going through 200MPH+ winds, having your home torn apart, job taken, homeless… And how about going there and smelling that rooten ordor every single day while your out there picking up the remains are your litterally shattered life. And then come back here and start joking about it.

    Oh… and to genius number 14… I went there already to help out… A concrete basement cealing was actually being ripped out of the ground by the force of the tornado. Half of it was ripped out and surprisingly the owner survived.

    Anyone one of you who thinks this is a joke… I would love to have you come to Greensburg and meet me face to face and say it. Until then… You have yet to experience true horror in your lives! Condemn me with your words… but I am correct.

  25. Victoria says:

    My heart goes out to the people of Greensburg.
    I have visited there before and it was a sweet little
    friendly town.
    While the news reports have all but stopped and the memories
    of that day are fading for all of us…..They are still living it every day and night. They are displaced, stressed, exhausted and greiving losses
    we can’t even imagine.

    No one is safe from disasters.
    Tornados, Floods, Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Wildfires,
    Mudslides, Volcanoes and Drought. Does anyone live somewhere
    that nothing on this list would affect you? We live on and aging planet
    with laws of nature in place. “It is not Gods wrath”.

    To my fellow Kansans in Greensburg….You hang in there!
    We are praying for you and helping anyway that we can!

    from Hutchinson KS

  26. BORTEL says:

    HEY, MY GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE IS GONE, CAN ANYONE RELATE? OUR FAMILIES MUST HAVE BEEN PREPARED, LOOK AT HOW MANY DEATHS THERE WERE. HOW WOULD YOUR TOWN SURVIVE?

  27. Kinkor says:

    I live in Wichita. I didn’t know about the tornado until the next day, when I was riding with my dad out to where my Eagle Ceremony was going to be, since we were told to pay close attention to the weather because it looked like some major storms might fire up. I heard on the radio 75% of Greensburg destroyed. The percentage kept going up. Yet the casualties didn’t. I was amazed that such a disaster could happen, yet only, I believe, 6 people die from it. I didn’t personally go and see the damage, I wanted to, I wanted to go and help, but I just didn’t have the time to go and help. I love traveling through Greensburg though, great place to stop, refuel, rest, eat, everything like that, the people there are great.
    But……when I read some of those comments up top, like one “So what? I can do this in Sim City.” This isn’t a game……this is real life, these are real peoples lives, and this isn’t just a town of like 5 people, this is a decent sized town. To another, who said they shouldn’t get help from the government………They deserve just as much help as New Orleans does, New Orleans is in an area that is prone to Hurricane’s, and they are below sea level…….something was bound to happen, just like a tornado was bound to hit Greensburg, just like a tornado is bound to hit my home, it just depends on if I am in my home when it gets hit. No one plans for this to happen, No one can see it coming. Then again, I don’t think I ever heard the people of Greensburg complaining that the government wasn’t helping them. From what I remember (I was gone all summer in South Carolina for some training.) they didn’t ask for it, they got themselves organized and did it themselves, they didn’t go around begging everyone to help them.
    But in all honesty, I have never seen a natural disaster, I have never had to take a direct hit from one, so all I can say is, God bless you all. I am truly amazed how everyone in Greensburg handled this and I wish the best of luck in rebuilding, and I hope that sometime soon I can come by and help with whatever might be necessary helping.

  28. Daniel says:

    The first comments make me sick, then i read the longer comments posted by people who don’t have the head up there ass, My hat is off to those who know what they are talking about; the thing that no one is yet to say about Greensburg or that of the people in the midwest or tornado alley is; The difference between katrina and the tornado that hit ks is this; #1 the people in LA. had at least a week or more to leave, but no they had to stay and protect their belongs. Does anyone here know how long people in ks had? ………. 25 minutes. #2 the people along the coast knew for years that the leveis were bad and needed to be repaired, hell most of the buildings by the river were under the water line, People in Tornado alley know what they can do thats why they have basements, cellers, or rooms in the middle of the house that is reinforced. #3 finally what happen after it was all over; New orlens; what did they do they took advantage of the situation and looted and terrorised other people though out the city, not to mention firing at the national guard, And what did people in Greensburg do after it was all over and safe to come out; the checked on family and friends, then at first light they began the long process of rebuilding, See people who have had to work and go after what tey want or need don’t sit on their asses and wait for the government to do it for them, they know they can do it them selves and they can do a better job when they help themselves; New moto and tactic for natural disaters; Help those who can help themselves, rescure the ones who can’t, and ingore the ones who can help themselves and don’t

  29. ddimoff says:

    hey what the hell is wrong with you people, these people did nothing to piss off god and everyone lives in a n area where bad things can happen. i live in wicsonsin should i move because it snows, i dont think so, bad things happen to good people, and they do need government money, put yourselve in there shoes wouldnt you want help, before you all open your mouth think a little.

  30. nearground0 says:

    If pissing off God will get you destroyed, then here are a few people who posted here initially who should begin looking up, because obviously such ignorance and callous disregard for others is bound to piss off God. Duck, Jaegermaster and Joshua.


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