Kansas Tornado Damage Photos

Here are some aerial photos of the Greensburg tornado damage by Jaime Oppenheimer of The Wichita Eagle. This is major damage that, while different in cause, is reminiscent of Katrina and New Orleans.

In the middle of the devastation, it appears there is a grain silo, or perhaps some other type of building, that escaped relatively unharmed. A sequentially earlier photo, in the upper right quadrant, shows some less-damaged commercial (presumably) buildings, on what may be a main street, judging by the street’s apparent greater width, running diagonally towards the grain silo. It appears to me the two photos are taken from opposite sides of the silo.

In areas subject to tornadoes, perhaps all buildings should be constructed similarly to those that were less damaged. From the photos, it appears the worst damaged buildings were possibly people’s homes, judging from cars amidst the timber debris (that suggest former garages).

The cynic in me says that nothing will likely change, local building codes will probably continue to approve the same types of construction for rebuilt homes, possibly because, while tragic, rebuilding is good for certain business sectors.

It is quite curious that what seems to be business or commercial buildings seem less damaged. Perhaps those were buildings constructed in an earlier era.