Wednesday was the one year anniversary of the devastating EF4 tornado that struck the town of Greenfield, along with the surrounding rural areas.

The city held a commemoration ceremony for those who have been instrumental in the recovery of their community, along with a remembrance of what the town went through. Greenfield Native Tom Wiggins shared what his experience of May 21, 2024 entailed.

“My family was kind of impacted on multiple sides with it. My wife and I lost our house and then I actually lost my two grandparents in the storm as well. Dean and Pam Wiggins were two of the best people in the world and one year ago we lost them.”

Governor Kim Reynolds also made an appearance at the event, speaking to the gathered masses, sharing what her outtake on how the community had come together to overcome the hardships left in the wake of the tornado, and the efforts that they have taken to recover.

“Just optimistic and hopeful and just I hope the community feels that way. The pride. You know, sometimes you just continue to see decline after the devastation like they experienced here, but that’s not the case. This is a completely different story. It’s a story of, revival. It’s a story of coming back, of hope, of really building back better, stronger than where they were before.”

During the ceremony, the Greenfield Fire Department Foundation made a donation of $100,000 to the city, to help in the funding for the rebuilding of the new fire department building. Leadership from the Greater Greenfield Community Foundation also shared that as of May 21, 2025, thanks to the many donations from around the community, state and nation, they had been able to hand out nearly $1 million to those affected by the destruction to help them rebuild.