Fist in a series

About this series: Parkersburg, Iowa, and Greensburg, Kan., share a common experience. The two communities each endured devastating tornadoes. A storm hit Greensburg in May 2007, wiping out hundreds of homes and businesses. A year later, Parkersburg suffered similar treatment. Earlier this month, the Courier traveled to Kiowa County, Kan., and returned to Butler County, Iowa for a look at recovery efforts

PARKERSBURG - The clear, unobstructed view of the horizon disturbed many. Residents on the city's south side weren't supposed to be able to see across town. A few dozen homes and businesses should be in the way.

An EF5 tornado on Memorial Day weekend six months ago leveled most of the neighborhood. Six people in Parkersburg and two in New Hartford died.

Parts of homes, storefronts and vehicles littered the streets and lawns. Landmarks, including Aplington-Parkersburg High School, were in ruin and barely recognizable.

"You had no frame of reference," Mayor Bob Haylock said. "All of the street signs were blown down."

For weeks after the storm, a drive along Iowa Highway 57 vividly reminded locals of all that was lost. Streets in the northern half of Parkersburg were lined with houses and shops. At the other end of town, the scenery changed abruptly.

"It was barren," City Administrator Gary Hinders said. "No trees. No buildings."

Today, a tour of the community evokes emotions. While empty lots and broken buildings still exist, Hinders by-and-large sees progress. He estimates the tornado destroyed one-third of Parkersburg's structures and damaged another third, but in his view the city is well on its way to recovery.

Parkersburg is crawling with contractors as homes and businesses go up. Now, some say the city more closely resembles a new housing development rather than a community ravaged by winds in excess of 200 mph.

Since the tornado, the city has issued about 200 building permits. Of those, 160 are for new houses and multifamily dwellings. Nine are to rebuild businesses. The remainder will allow reconstruction of garages, decks and storage facilities.

"I think it's encouraging," Hinders said. "It's not as depressing anymore."

Residents in a community 600 miles away can relate.

Defining moment

Shortly before 10 p.m. on May 4, 2007, people in south-central Kansas hid in their basements, closets and storm shelters. Sirens sounded in Greensburg for 20 minutes. Forecasters issued a tornado emergency, a warning used only when a dangerous storm bears down on a populated area. When the power went out, some residents later said they knew there would be no escape.

Residents emerged to a landscape they did not recognize. Even in the dark, Bob Dixson, who would later become mayor of Greensburg, realized something was terribly wrong: He shouldn't be able to see so far. And in every direction.

" 'Wonder if we are the only ones left,' " Dixson remembers thinking.

Estimates suggest the EF5 tornado wiped out up to 95 percent of the structures in Greensburg.

Residents and officials are determined to put the pieces back together.

"We are still working on this 18 months later," Dixson said.

Parkersburg and Greensburg have much in common. Both towns count fewer than 2,000 residents. For many in the community, life centers around family, church, career and school.

Residents in both towns - other Iowa communities stricken this year by natural disaster - know what it's like for life to change so quickly.

"The night of the tornado, everyone was walking around in a daze," said Galen Battershell, 54, of Greensburg.

After the deadly tornadoes in Iowa and Kansas, law enforcement agencies, volunteers and relief organizations converged in overwhelming numbers. Residents and rescue workers went from lot to lot, looking for survivors.

Elma Helwig's house was destroyed and she was dressed in nightclothes. Still, the 86-year-old helped search Greensburg.

"We called out the names of people that lived there," she said.

Not everyone survived. Eleven died in Greensburg from injuries sustained in the tornado, Mayor Bob Dixson said. Another fatality occured northeast of town in Stafford County, he said.

Survivors in both communities are saddened by the loss of life. They also marvel that so many survived. Parkersburg's mayor expected to bury 100. An official in Greensburg reportedly ordered 500 body bags.

The fact Parkersburg's tornado hit on a Sunday evening on a holiday weekend likely reduced fatalities, Haylock said.

"People were not in the office. Kids were not in high school," he added. "If that school would have been full of kids … it would have been devastating."

Shortly after the Greensburg tornado, with some citizens still unaccounted for, officials ordered an evacuation. Survivors boarded buses and accepted rides in taxis and other vehicles as they headed to shelter in neighboring towns.

Rain added insult to injury. Several days later, officials deemed the situation safe enough for residents to begin salvaging possessions. Residents sorted and pushed debris to curbs. Trucks carried away ton after ton of debris.

Strangers arrived from across the United States to lend a hand. They picked up, donated time and money and, in time, began building homes. After 18 month, good Samaritans are still appreciated - and needed.

"Volunteers were such a lifeline," said Jeff Blackburn, pastor of Greensburg Mennonite Church. "We were so shocked and overwhelmed. That was a tremendous gift."

Challenges

In both towns, many are living in a state of transition even as they strive to regain a sense of normalcy. But while rebuilding efforts are ongoing in Greensburg and Parkersburg, the pieces are coming together more quickly in Northeast Iowa.

Demographics, money and logistics are apparently affecting the pace of the two towns' respective rebuilding efforts. The extent of the damage and game plans are also factors.

In Parkersburg, with a population approaching 1,900 before the storm, the tornado damaged or destroyed some 600 homes, according to city officials. The tornado spared Main Street but took out about 20 businesses elsewhere. Besides the school, key assets taken out included the lumber yard, two banks and City Hall.

The Greensburg tornado packed a monstrous punch. In addition to taking out most of the houses, the twister claimed every church and almost every business. Greensburg lost its City Hall and its school, its hospital, water tower and library. The fire trucks were smashed, and the power generating station was ruined. The Kiowa County Courthouse also sustained severe damage.

The town had about 1,400 residents before the storm. About 850 remain.

In Greensburg, dozens continue to live in trailers. Dubbed Femaville by local residents, the temporary housing is situated on the outskirts of town.

Despite obvious obstacles and inconveniences - locals long for the return of their grocery store - community leaders find encouragement in signs of progress. The town recently broke ground for a City Hall and a school to house students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Houses and businesses are going up, and some new faces moved to town.

"You can't imagine the progress that's been made if you haven't been here before," said Sue Greenleaf, a counselor at the school.

Residents expect a new, albeit different, Greensburg will emerge. It is a bittersweet realization.

"You do see the progress . You can't help but notice and see that, but with that comes 'It's not the same at all,'" Greenleaf said.

Greensburg's recovery attracts ongoing curiosity because of the city's commitment to create an environmentally friendly community. Greensburg officials promise all city building projects will meet the highest standards for energy efficiency and sustainability established by the U.S. Green Build Council. They are also encouraging residents to build "green."

The concept caught the attention of Leonardo DiCaprio, and the actor produced a series for the Discovery Channel's "Planet Green."

While conservation and sustainability are not implicit parts of the official game plan in Parkersburg, officials expect the town to come back better, stronger and perhaps bigger than before.

Construction continues at the high school, and the town recently broke ground for a business plaza and City Hall. Kwik Star built a larger store, and the lumber yard is open.

New businesses are also showing interest in Parkersburg, said Virgil Goodrich, the city's economic development director.

The pieces are coming together more quickly than some expected.

"It just kind of shows you what kind of people we are," Goodrich said.

Leaders and residents in Parkersburg and Greensburg, though, acknowledge challenges and uncertainties remain because they entered uncharted territory when the winds died. And they agree, recovery is going to take years.

Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1581 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.