KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On May 4, 2003, five tornadoes ripped through the Kansas City area, killing one person and destroying dozens of homes. One of those belonged to a member of the 41 Action News family.
Former 41 Action News engineer Jim Eaton was at his home in Kansas City, Kansas, that Sunday, preparing to go to work and watching a series of storms roll in. He didn't know he was about to become a victim of a tornado.
The storm tore his house apart.
"I had my two-way radio going, and I was just looking out the window to see if there's anything coming," Eaton said. "I remember hollering on the radio, 'There's something out here!'"
That something was the beginning of a string of tornadoes that spread across the Kansas City area that day.
"There was a roar, and then it got real quiet, and then the roar started again," Eaton said. "We opened the garage door, and we saw what we saw. Our roof was totally gone. I have no idea where it went."
His home of 24 years was destroyed, but Jim couldn't help but chuckle at one description.
"It was funny because they came by and assessed all the damage, and they put a sign on ours, and it said, '70 percent gone,'" Eaton said. "And I was like, 'Where's the 30 percent that I'm supposed to live in?'"
The Eatons considered rebuilding but decided not to go back to the same spot. Now, they live a few miles away in a house with a critical feature.
"I told the builder, 'We'll come in here, but we're gonna have to have a safe room,'" Eaton said.
The safe room is a solid concrete block in the middle of their house that also functions as a closet. The steel door opens into the room and swings shut on steel hinges, secured with two locks. Eaton keeps a few supplies inside in case of an emergency.
WATCH: Archived footage of the May 4, 2003 tornado damage
In 2004, one year after the storm, the Eatons went overseas to visit family because Jim's wife didn't want to be there on the anniversary. Now, the day passes without much of notice in the Eaton house.
Still, there's a weather radio in their living room.
"I think when the wind starts picking up is when I get a little concerned, and when it gets sort of a green cast out there," Eaton said. "I get pretty antsy if I hear the tornado things."
Eaton said that one of the first dates he and his wife ever had was to go storm spotting, a hobby he'd enjoyed for years. He said he's had no desire to do it in the last 15 years.
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To stay prepared for severe weather, check out our Surviving the Storm Spring 2018 weather special, and during severe weather events, tune in to KSHB for updates from Kansas City's most accurate weather team, or download the 41 Action News app to live stream.
See even more photos of the damage left behind by the May 4, 2003 tornadoes from the National Weather Service here.
