Greensburg Kansas wiped out by tornado

[Monty]

I just saw on the news where Greensburg, Kansas was almost totally wiped out by a tornado! I think we might have some members living there. Hope they are OK. Anyone know who they are? Monty

 

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[Digginman]

I don't know of any, Monty, but you are probably right. What I have seen is beyond description. A disaster beyond disasters.

My thoughts and prayers out to thse brave folks.

DM

 

[George (MN)]

It would be great PR for the hobby if anyone would detect there to find personal items to give back to the families whose homes were destoyed. HH, George (MN)

 

[Monty]

True, but where would you start? I don't think we have any members living there but it came up in a recent discussion for some reason, something about the big well. Burdie lives up that way but not in Greensburg. He is OK. Those of us who live in "tornado alley" don't pay much attention to bad weather is happens so often in the Spring. Makes me want to buy one of those hidey hole type safe rooms to put in my house somewhere. They are made of heavy guage steel and are really just a big steel box that is anchored to the floor but it will protect against flying debris. and is strong enough to withstand 300 mph winds. I don't know what they cost, but one tornado ripping through your house would make it a bargain. They are building these into a lot of new constrution around here. Makes sense. Monty

 

[ivan salis]

the say it was the strongest type ----if so thats a F5 class ----a F5 is a monster beyond belief ---I hope and pray you never see one---deadly things---and then they were hit again the next day-- hit back to back---holy moley!!! ---my prayers go out to them and I hope that we lost no members or family of members. from what I understand the town was wiped off the map. Ivan

 

[eagle77]

I keep thinking about building a safe room, but after tornado season passes I kinda procrastinate. I've seen F3 tornadoes, F5? beyond imagination. Thoughts and prayers to the families of Greenburg.

For those interested I located FEMA's recommendations on building Tornado/Hurricane shelters
http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1536
Another site
http://www.tornadoproject.com/safety/shelters.htm

 

[wildrider]

That tornado was nothing to sneeze about. As the late Harry Cary would say, "HOLY COW!!"

Burt

 

[Boobydoo]

God help these folks during this tragic time.

Greensburg is also the place where the Travel Channel's Treasure Show did a segment about meteorites. The worlds largest palasite meteorite was found here in the 1940's and during the treasure show this guy was pullling a huge homemade metal detector behind his ATV and they dug up two more large meteorites.
http://www.meteorite-times.com/Back_Links/2006/February/Meteorite_People.htm

BDoo

 

[warsawdaddy]

I saw one article that said the $1M meteorite was a casualty of the storm.They still need Pro Bono MD help.See;
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,86646.0.html

Meteorite;
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070506/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather_74

 

[Monty]

They found the meteor and it is safe! Monty

 

[Functional]

I wonder if the Cat-5 netting that was designed for hurricanes would have helped?
http://stores.ebay.ca/Madden-Industries
I guess any sort of a wind break that reduces drastic pressure variations, would be useful in those conditions.

We don't get tornado's here, but once, or twice a year when the wind direction is from the north or south, we get wind storms that can topple large trees, (the sandy clay type soil is kind of loose, so that likely doesn't help matters), or breaks the upper part of the tree off sending it a couple of hundred feet or so. Fortunately, most people keep the branches of the trees on they're property thinned so the wind doesn't have as much of an effect and theres seldom any injuries from the wind storms.

When I hear about the destruction caused by the tornado's in tornado alley, (including the part that runs up into Canada), and about the hurricanes, I always wonder if there wasn't something that could have been done to reduce the devastation and loss of life. Maybe that Cat-5 netting would help? Or maybe theres some more affordable DIY idea, (for those who don't have thousands of dollars to spare), that could be used using other materials, such as layers of common fishing nets?

Just my thoughts on the matter. I just hate to see people loose everything they worked hard for, (been there myself), not to mention the loss of, or injury to friends and relatives.

F.

 

[sniffer]

I currently live about 75 miles from Greensburg, Ks. about 90% of the city is gone, every structure in the city had some form of damage,. The tornado was rated an EF-5 on the new enhanced Fujita scale. One tornado hit the town on friday evening about 9:20 p.m., the next day the tornados started up about 20 miles to the east and north of Greensburg, sunday, the started up about 20 miles to the west of me, all in all I think we have more than enough rain for a while, I can't even detect in my own yard, all I would be detecting is mud

 

[ivan salis]

sound like not being able go detecting is the least of your problems round there for awhile---helping folks find stuff could be very helpful later I'll bet.---by the way did the local banks get hit by the storm and if so how did they fair---vaults intact or money scattered everywhere?---just wondering--- Ivan

 

[seekingsilver]

For those of you who haven't seen the devistation you need to go to www.hdnews.net! Go to almost the bottom of the page where you see the pic of a blue semi and a headline about a Hayes resident riding out the storm in his sleeper! This guy is truly lucky and he took 200 something pics of the destruction!! Most of the pics are of one of the Largest John Deere Dealers in KS. This equipment is big and weighs alot and the Tornado threw it around like toys in a sandbox. Almost all the Combines you see mangled in the pics are brand new and cost around 200 to 400 thousand dollars each!! These machines are now scrap metal! I live about 70 miles from there and I have two co-workers that have parents who lost there house and pretty much everything!! We had several people go down and help them and they came back and said pictures do not tell the story at all of what happened! All animal life pretty much does not exist there...no birds singing very few pets are still around or alive!! Reports of livestock roaming around in pain with 2x4's stuck in them ...it is just an awful, awful situation.

 

[ivan salis]

the destruction is so total as to be beyond belief---that what a F5 mega tornado will do---its as bad as it gets---then a second tornado --the next day--the odds of that are beyond belief--I hope and pray for relief to reach them as fast as possible they will need all the help they can get. Ivan

 

[Michigan Badger]

We have loved ones who live in "tornado alley." They've seen a few but so far nothing hit them too hard.

That's and interesting area for sure.

Badger