As the cities and towns ravaged by tornadoes slowly shift their focus from relief efforts to long-term rebuilding, they might want to take a look at the recent history of Greensburg, Kansas.

Four years ago, the town was virtually leveled by a massive mile-and-a-half-wide twister. But the flattened landscape that was their home offered them a green opportunity, one that made a lot of business sense for homeowners and town managers. For instance, the new wind farm produces far more electricity than the town of 1,400 people consumes.

The municipality was able to secure additional loans and grants specifically related to sustainability, rather than simply disaster relief.

The Kansas mayor was even President Obama's guest at his first State of the Union speech during which the President talked about the optimism and resilience of American communities.

WATCH the video below from Wall St Journal, or READ more at Good.is.