GREENSBURG, Kan. — President Bush hailed the resilience of this town and its tiny high school graduating class Sunday, one year after a tornado barreled through with astonishing fury.
Never before had Bush delivered a commencement address at a high school, and his presence was meant to reflect how far Greensburg has come. From nearly total devastation last May 4, this town is recovering, and hope has been rekindled.
At the center of attention is the Class of 2008 — 10 boys and eight girls. They finished their senior year at a makeshift campus of trailers.
“We celebrate the resurgence of a town that stood tall when its buildings and homes were laid low,” Bush said in his remarks at the temporary high school gym.
“We celebrate the power of faith, the love of family and the bonds of friendship that guided you through the disaster,” Bush said. “And we celebrate the resilience of 18 seniors who grew closer together when the world around them blew apart.”
Bush said the graduating class has sent a powerful message to the nation: “Greensburg, Kansas, is back and its best days are ahead.”
The tornado that flattened Greensburg was the worst in the United States in years. It raged at 205 mph, spanned more than a mile and a half and killed 11 people.
An estimated 95 percent of the town was leveled as were all schools, the city hall, the fire department and a power plant. More than 900 homes were destroyed. What was left looked eerie, with cars planted into crumpled structures and trees ripped of all their limbs.
Bush told the students Sunday that they had learned a hard lesson of perseverance.
“The lessons that you have learned in this town will give you the strength to rise above any obstacle in your path,” Bush said. “You have seen life at its most difficult. You have emerged stronger from it.”
Bush personally handed a diploma to each graduate.
Leaders of the graduating class thanked Bush for coming and spoke with optimism.
“We couldn’t control what happened a year ago,” said the co-valedictorian, Cassie Blackburn. “We were thrown off course, but we recovered.”
Greensburg’s resilience has drawn raves.
Homes are popping up, businesses are reopening and a new water tower symbolically stands tall. The population is down from its pre-tornado total of 1,400, but rising.
Rather than rebuild in traditional ways, the city is re-engineering itself as a model of energy efficiency. The new green in Greensburg means the place is being built to run on clean energy, including, of all things, wind power.
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