KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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A Johnson County man whose home was destroyed by a tornado is turning that experience into a business aimed at helping others prepare for severe weather.
Jon Edlin founded Edlin Tornado Solutions after a tornado struck his Nashville home in 2020, leaving him with about five minutes to get his family to safety. When it was over, their home was gone.
"Our neighborhood was completely — looked like a bomb went off. I mean, it was completely flat," Edlin said.
Edlin said the experience revealed how unprepared his family was when the storm hit in the middle of the night.
"There were things that I wish that I would have had that would have made my life a lot easier," Edlin said.
Now, during Severe Weather Awareness Week, Edlin is sharing what he learned. His new business sells tornado go bags and online tornado safety courses.
"A simple change is to make sure you have a plan and a go bag — just put the things that you actually need, keys, wallet, those types of things. But just having a plan helps with storm anxiety," Edlin said.
With storms expected across the Kansas City metro Friday and a threat level 3 in the forecast, Edlin said knowing his family is ready gives him peace of mind.
"What goes through my head after hearing about us being at a level three is that I'm glad that I have a plan. My kids are glad that I have a plan. We know exactly where to go and we know exactly what to do if a tornado were to come over our house again," Edlin said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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