LINWOOD, Kan. — Aaron McLaren can already visualize the layout of his new house. The foundation is poured and some of the frame is in place, but he’s still a long way from moving into the house.
One year ago, a tornado passing through Linwood, Kansas, destroyed his previous home.
The National Weather Service said winds that day were moving 170 miles per hour.
Life hasn’t slowed down for McLaren.
“It seems like so long ago. I lost my mom to cancer shortly after the tornado, we had a new baby,” says McLaren, a nurse with a wife and a handful of children.
He has rebuilt a barn on his property, but the home is taking longer because contractors and architects are balancing a lot of work.
In the meantime, insurance is paying for the McLarens to live in a rental house.
McLaren never thought about living anywhere else. He wanted to rebuild with a new foundation and a a storm shelter. No one was home when the tornado hit last year.
“It’s nice being out here when it’s six o’clock at night, the sun’s going down and it’s nice and peaceful and quiet,” McLaren said.
His new house should be complete by April 2021.
