Eventually a vision emerged of an eco-friendly town that would attract visitors and, despite demographic trends that have long seen rural Americans fleeing to urban centers, bring jobs and workers back to town.
The goal was ambitious for a city that had a declining population even before 95 percent of its buildings blew away in the night, casualties of a 2007 tornado that claimed 11 lives in town. But today’s Greensburg is very much a product of what its people imagined in the months after the storm, Mayor Bob Dixson said.
The Illinois towns of Washington and Gifford now face the same challenge of drawing plans for the future after tornadoes in November shredded neighborhoods and businesses. With much of the rubble cleared away, residents are preparing for construction season.
What folks there decide to do next, the Kansas mayor said, will go a long way toward determining what the cities look like years from now.