This Sunday will mark one year since a powerful F-5 tornado all but destroyed the small town of Greensburg, Kansas. The storm left 11 people dead and many of the 1,400 residents saw their homes and businesses turned into a big pile of rubble. Now those who still call it home are still working to rebuild all that was destroyed, but have decided to take a green approach to doing so.

Greensburg was once known for its natural and manmade landmarks including brick buildings dating back to the turn-of-the-last-century, as well as Victorians and prairie-style houses. Now the norm are things like energy-efficient lights, rainwater collection systems and LEED Platinum certified buildings. Of the newly constructed homes, approximately 40 were built with eco-friendly components such as added insulation and double-pane windows and recycled materials including lumber and bricks salvaged from the tornado wreckage were utilized. The eco-conscious measures also extend to the interior of the homes, with water-efficient faucets, shower heads and toilets being installed. Solar panels will also provide energy to some of the homes. The local John Deere dealership and the new town arts center have both installed wind turbines, with others also in the works.

And in the event disaster should strike again, homebuilders are preparing themselves this time around by erecting tornado-fortified walls and underground shelters.

"I would never say the tornado happening was a good thing. I would never wish that on anybody," said Kim Alderfer, assistant city manager. "But given the opportunity, we have to do it right — to make it better."

"It will be a stronger, better, greener community," said Erica Goodman, a newly elected city councilwoman. "I think the green initiative is really what will set Greensburg apart from every other rural community in the United States."

The event of the tornado itself and the resulting casualties is undoubtedly a terrible occurrence, however it seems that rebuilding afterward is done in a way that is far more environmentally conscious than it ever used to be. First Brad Pitt decided to build green homes in some of the most devastated areas in New Orleans, and now Greensburg is the latest example of a town that has - as the local commemoration of the disaster puts it - turned "tragedy to triumph."

» MSNBC Environment