Clockwise from top: The tornado, as seen at EF5 intensity in Greensburg; the photographer was located 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Greensburg. At this point, the tornado has taken on a large "wedge" shape,[note 1] a heavily damaged house in Greensburg, a radar image of the supercell that produced the tornado, disaster recovery workers clearing debris from Greensburg, damage to downtown Greensburg, which took a direct hit from the tornado. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 4, 2007, 9:00 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | May 4, 2007, 10:05 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 65 minutes |
| EF5 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 205 mph (330 km/h) |
| Satellite tornadoes | |
| Tornadoes | 10 confirmed |
| Maximum rating | EF1 tornado |
| Highest winds | Unknown |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 11 |
| Injuries | 63 |
| Damage | 95% of Greensburg damaged to some degree |
| Economic losses | $250 million (2007 USD)[1] |
| Areas affected | Greensburg, Kansas |
| Houses destroyed | 622 |
Part of the Tornado outbreak of May 4–6, 2007 and Tornadoes of 2007 | |
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On the evening of May 4, 2007, amid a tornado outbreak, a large and devastating EF5 tornado moved through the town of Greensburg, located in southern Kansas. The tornado, known as the Greensburg tornado, Greensburg, or GT in later studies, tracked 28.8 miles (46.3 km) through the area, killing eleven and injuring sixty-three others. The tornado was the first to be rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale; the Fujita scale was used to rate tornadoes until February 2007.[2][3][4][5]
The tornado touched down in northern Comanche County, moving to the north while continuously widening. The nocturnal wedge tornado eventually entered into Kiowa County, crossing U.S. Route 183 before entering the city limits of Greensburg. The tornado heavily damaged Greensburg as it moved through; 662 structures in the town sustained some form of damage, and eleven were killed before the tornado left the area. Northwest of Greensburg, the tornado suddenly turned, looping back around before dissipating over an hour after first touching down.
The tornado devastated Greensburg, damaging 95% of the town and leaving $268 million (2007 USD) in damage. Rebuilding efforts after the tornado were intensive, and several major government agencies collaborated with state agencies to help rebuild the town with the goal of making it a "green town" using a Long-Term Community Recovery plan that included requiring all buildings in Greensburg to gain LEED Platinum certification, along with installing wind turbines in the city. In 2011, Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, destroyed in the tornado, was the first hospital in the United States to operate using operate using carbon neutral energy.
As of 2024, the tornado is the most recent to receive an EF5 rating in the state of Kansas, and ninth most recent nationwide. The tornado was also one of the deadliest in Kansas history, along with being the deadliest in the history of Comache and Kiowa counties. The tornado is also the second-widest officially surveyed tornado in Kansas history; the 2 miles (3.2 km) width estimate from the 1896 Seneca–Oneida tornado is considered unofficial and the Trousdale tornado that touched down on the same day had a larger width, at 2.2 miles (3.5 km).
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- ^ Lemon & Umschied 2008, p. 1.
- ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale)". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "An Update to the Enhanced Fujita Scale - March 2022 - Haag Global". 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "What is the Fujita Scale for tornadoes? | University of Chicago News". news.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Weather IQ: Understanding the difference between EF0 to EF5 tornadoes". WCNC. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-11-15.