Sad about Greensburg,KS (Hutchinson, Washington: insurance, new home, construction jobs)

[Versatile]

I saw the John Deere Dealership but i did not see anything resembling a motel.

[mmthomas]

How did the people die? It would seem if you were in the basement or sheltered in the bathroom you would not be that vunerable. Were they outside?

[Cholly]

The Best Western motel did not have a basement that I know of and the motel was a one story with a L shape outline and one other separate building to the west. We were in the last two rooms on the L shape near the park. The bathrooms all had windows in them so I would not think people would want to be in their for safety reasons. However it sounds like the motel is completely gone so I just pray that the people that were staying there the night the tornado hit had some place to go prior to the storm hitting. I heard they had like a 20 minute warning before the tornado hit. I just question if you were traveling through town like we were the night before and staying at the motel where would you go?

[Versatile]

I read that many people went in the gas station cooler. The cooler was moved outside the building and then the walls on it fell outward. Some were minorly injured.

[W350]

It would have been a great time to throw your belongings in your car and go west. If you watched that developing on radar, it was obvious that Kiowa County was not going to be the place to be. They were forecasting major storms for that immediate area the day before the tornado hit. Glen

[Cholly]

Hi Glen: We were just one of the lucky ones to have planned our stay the night before. We had not been following the weather forecast since we were just traveling through heading back to Tucson from Illinois. We mapped out our route for each day and had a pet so we had to find a motel that would accept pets. Pratt was full so Greensburg was the next location on our route. Little did we know about checking the forecast since our concern was distance for each day of travel, but it certainly stands as a good lesson when traveling to check all aspects. Kansas of course being tornado alley. Thanks for your comments I can appreciate what you are saying. Cholly

[chele123]

Originally Posted by Cholly

Hi: Thank you for responding. The Best Western was right on Hwy 54 it seems like in the middle of town. It was next to a John Deere Implement dealership. It did not have a resturant so my son ate at the Pizza Hut on the 3rd of May. I just loved how that town felt. So friendly and kind and the motel was located next to a park. We stayed there because they allowed pets and my son had his lab with us. The Best Western staff were most kind and it seemed like a mom and pop motel. I just worried about how they made it through the storm and I pray they are all ok. You are to be greatly respected for the time and work you have given of yourself to help these people. May God Bless you!

Thank you for your kind words! If it was next to the GTI it was destroyed. There was a hotel catty-cornered from GTI (the John Deere dealer) that had a mini-van standing on it's nose in the L - or was that the Best Western? Across the street from GTI?

[chele123]

Originally Posted by W350

It would have been a great time to throw your belongings in your car and go west. If you watched that developing on radar, it was obvious that Kiowa County was not going to be the place to be. They were forecasting major storms for that immediate area the day before the tornado hit. Glen

It actually started down in my county (Clark). We were out storm spotting, but it was getting dark and hard to see. In a flash of lightening I saw it, didn't even really think it was a tornado at first! Dang thing was huge. It had touched down on my BIL's ranch, took out a stand of trees and then proceeded northeast.

The real hero in this story is the guy that gave Greensburg so much notice!

[Cholly]

Hi Chele123: That was the Best Western. I imagine the mini van was one of their overnight guests. Yikes. My son commented about the John Deere dealership because we lived just miles away in Illinois from their Moline, Illinois plant where the John Deere Company is located. I just hope that the town of Greensburg is seeing progress in their recovery and won't loose faith that their little town can come back. Take care, Cholly

[usetobekansasgirl]

My great grandparents (George Washington Garrison & Nancy) came from Illinois in a covered wagon in the mid 1880's and raised their family in Greensburg, Ks. My grandfather Charles Edgar Garrison and his brothers and sister were married there. They worked on the Big Well there. They are buried in the Fairview cemetery in Greensburg and I am wondering if the cemetery was damaged? We are coming through there around the 4th of July and want to go to the cemetery and vist the town. Does anyone know the directions to the cemetery?
I am so sad about what has happened to Greensburg as I feel a connection to it. I pray for the people.
Thanks for any help you can give me.