Greensburg Continues To Come Back To Life

Community Spirit Abounds In Tiny Kansas Town Decimated By Twister A Year Ago

(CBS)  Rather than blame God when a massive, ferocious tornado hit their tiny town almost a year ago, the people of Greensburg, Kan. turned to their faith to help get them through.

That, perhaps, sums up their can-do spirit and refusal to give in to adversity as well as anything else.

As The Early Show continued its special weeklong series. "Tragedy to Triumph: Greensburg Rising" Thursday, we met a grandmother who suffered an unspeakable personal loss to the twister, but persevered by following her faith. We also heard from the pastors of two local churches about how they picked up the pieces -- literally -- left in the funnel's wide wake.

And it wasn't just people affected by the tornado. Their pets were, too. What became of them? We found out Thursday -- and heard from a man whose cats became his lifeline after his wife was killed by the twister -- the same day she'd finished chemotherapy for breast cancer.

We also saw the M*A*S*H*-like local hospital -- doctors needed somewhere to do their jobs after the funnel felled the building.

Among other highlights, a chat with Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius about Greensburg's remarkable comeback, a progress report on the playground being built all-green, and word on two New York City firefighters so moved by what happened to Greensburg that they went there last Christmas to help the town's 220 kids bring hope and inspiration back to their families and friends.

One of the firefighters is a 9-11 survivor, the other works in a firehouse directly across from Ground Zero.

Almost ever intersection in Greensburg has a star -- 220 in all -- each hand-painted done by one of the 220 kids who live there, and each with a personal message of hope, grieving, inspiration and love.

The firemen belong to the New York Says Thank You Foundation, a relief organization started after 9-11. Each year, volunteers help communities hit by disasters, much as folks across the country helped New York after 9-11.

A Texas family who lost their home in a tornado in 2006 was helped by the New York relief group. That family, in turn, made each of the stars to be painted and brought them to Greensburg -- their way to "Pay It Forward."

The Faithful Keep The Faith -- And It Keeps Them



Pets Rescued -- And To The Rescue



Also, Del Monte Foods gave the people of Greensburg 50,000 pounds of pet food.

Firefighters To The Rescue



Dave Tours Greensburg's Only Food Store



Bikes, More For Greensburg's Kids

Amazon.com, together with Schwinn, Mongoose, and Bell Helmets, donated bikes and helmets, and Fuzion Scooters provided some of their latest scooters.



Playground Update

[sylram-2009]

I just want to say Thank You to CBS for covering this. Yes, us Kansans are a tough breed of people but we keep on keeping on and we appreciate all the help we have received. I toured the Greenburg area in September and it is amazing what has happened since then. I work in the social service sector of Kansas and know several people who have helped in Greensburg. They were told to, they just volunteered! It is just amazing how you can pull together people when you need help. Wouldn''t it be great if everyone would pull together without having to have a major disaster to give them the umph.

I would like to know if CBS can do something for the couple on Friday that the contractor took off with their money. Anyway you can help? I am sure there are ways or you have contacts to find them. These people are not asking for handouts, they have learned from their mistake. However, wouldn''t it be great to find their money as they have endured enough hardship? I hope that if something like this happened to me (and I live in Tornado Alley too) someone or agency would care enough to try to find them. Thanks

[brwnsgr55]

Thank you, CBS & the Early Show for taking this week to bring to plight of Greensburg''s residents to the attention of our nation. Sometimes when things are out of sight, they are out of mind. Thanks, for you guys compassion and sacrificing some of your own comforts for the people of Greensburg.

[kckota]

The woman in the Faithful Keep the Faith video who said that God was in Greensburg that night protecting the people from the evil of that storm hit it right on the head. I had the privilege of serving alongside several hundred other Kansans in the response and initial recovery work for Greensburg. The one thing that amazed all of us was the low number of fatalities and serious injuries in such a devastating storm. There is no doubt in my mind that God was there that night and since, protecting and guiding these people. God''s love, and the faith and love of the people, are what made Greensburg a wonderful town before the storm hit and are what is driving this town to an incredible recovery.

[piuthar]

Makes me wonder about CBS News, you didn''t get this kind of coverage with the tornadoes that hit the midwest in 2004. Over 95 percent of Hallam was destroyed or damaged, people were scammed by so-called builders, debris movers, and such. What about the people that are still recovering from this? Employers are not so understanding when employees are trying to rebuild and can''t show up to work at the same time, so you get let go. People don''t get shown the longer term effects in an aftermath such as this. You rebuild your life the best you can and keep moving forward.

[piuthar]

Makes me wonder about CBS News, you didn''t get this kind of coverage with the tornadoes that hit the midwest in 2004. Over 95 percent of Hallam was destroyed or damaged, people were scammed by so-called builders, debris movers, and such. What about the people that are still recovering from this? Employers are not so understanding when employees are trying to rebuild and can''t show up to work at the same time, so you get let go. People don''t get shown the longer term effects in an aftermath such as this. You rebuild your life the best you can and keep moving forward.

[sunbug3]

you don''t hear the people from Greensburg complaining because they are amazed and pleased with all the help they are receiving. They are unlike those in New Orleans in that they don''t expect help....they just appreciate it. People in the midwest are used to pulling together in times of need....they don''t sit around and wait for the government to give them handouts. They are a tougher breed of people

[kansan6]

Maiingan, I''ve seen several of your comments inferring that Greensburg is not taking any building precautions in anticipation of the next tornado. There is such a thing as earthquake-resistant construction, but the concept of "tornado-resistant construction" is a much different proposition that is more akin to "bulldozer-resistant construction."

Yes, recycled ICF is being used in many projects, and I know of several homes and buildings being designed with a single, concrete-reinforced room to serve as a potential storm shelter, but there are limits, both physically and financially, to building structures that are entirely resistant to 200+ MPH winds and the trees, telephone poles, and large pieces of farm equipment that accompany them.

[maiingan]

Faith will not keep the next strong tornado - which will most assuredly come - from destroying new buildings which were not built with enough tornado resistance (which is feasible, and the best is also "green" using reinforced concrete with insulation). CBS News seems to be shilling for the "green building only" leaders by not asking about the decision to not put tornado resistance at the top of the priority list.