Greensburg
On the evening of May 4, 2007, the town of Greensburg, Kansas, was directly hit by a powerful tornado, reducing almost the entire town to rubble. What are the odds that Susanne Walström had chosen that very place back in 1993 to capture small-town life in the American Midwest? Her early black-and-white photographs now serve as a poignant, nostalgic glimpse into Greensburg before the disaster.
Despite the massive ruination in 2007, Greensburg was rebuilt. A particularly fascinating aspect of the reconstruction was the decision to do it in a green and climate-smart way, making the town a pioneer in sustainable urban planning.
Now, 30 years after her first visit and 18 years after the tornado, she has returned. What became of the people she met in 1993? What dreams guided the reconstruction, and how did it turn out? And what is it like to live in the so-called Tornado Alley, where every year brings the threat of powerful storms and new tornadoes?
Photography & text - Susanne Walström
Design - Anton Hull
Published by - Kerber Verlag
