Are there many tornado's in South Carolina Columbia/Lexington Area? (Newberry: house, buy)

[JanStar07]

My Husband & I are considering moving to Lexington near my In-Laws, they are very happy there, but have only been there about a year. They seem to have missed one tornado that did go through the area maybe a month or so before they moved there.

[waccamatt]

Tornadoes are infrequent and are usually small if they occur. Tornadoes in South Carolina are nothing like they are in the midwest or great plains from an intensity standpoint.

[Columbiadata]

But for some reason it seems if there's going to be a tornado around here it's going to be in Lexington County or Newberry County.

[JanStar07]

eeek...I get nervous about that...Im from NJ, we do have them here of course, but very far & very few between...

[JanStar07]

South Carolina State Climatology Office

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by JanStar07

South Carolina State Climatology Office

Keep in mind that tornadoes affect a very small area generally so the risk that you would ever be in the direct path of a tornado in South Carolina is minuscule. They are not that much more common here than they are in New Jersey. As you can see on that website, nearly every tornado was an F0, F1 or F2.

[JanStar07]

you are right..I was thinking that myself...I wanted opinions of people who live there now...they seem to hot Lexington & Columbia..OF course where I'd like to live...but like you said...the constant warnings & severe weather occur in NJ too....I wish I could get past this "fear"! I want o move for the sake of my children...we can't have a decent life with a nice home & "normal" people around them...up here many people just are not as decent as they are in the southern region. I am originally from England, so I am not from NJ directly...however, it has hardened me over the years...I want my little girl to have a chance to live a little! I see Lexington Schools are considered very good this is Obviously important!

If ANYONE has any other thoughts, I would appreciate them!

[Intergalactic]

Originally Posted by JanStar07

you are right..I was thinking that myself...I wanted opinions of people who live there now...they seem to hot Lexington & Columbia..OF course where I'd like to live...but like you said...the constant warnings & severe weather occur in NJ too....I wish I could get past this "fear"! I want o move for the sake of my children...we can't have a decent life with a nice home & "normal" people around them...up here many people just are not as decent as they are in the southern region. I am originally from England, so I am not from NJ directly...however, it has hardened me over the years...I want my little girl to have a chance to live a little! I see Lexington Schools are considered very good this is Obviously important!

If ANYONE has any other thoughts, I would appreciate them!

Your risk of death from a tornado in SC is very very very small, perhaps one in 1.9 million per year. If you are paranoid about tornadoes, buy a house in as hilly an area as possible, on the northeast face of a slope. Tornadoes in South Carolina tend to move northeast, and a hill will allow the tornado to jump over your house.

These guys have mapped every tornado in the US since 1950.
http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado.php?yr=%25&mo=%25&day=%25&st=South+Carolin a&fu=%25&co=Any&l=auto&submit=Map&ddat=on&dsta=on& dfuj=on&dfat=on&dinj=on&dcou=on&format=basic&p=1&s =1
About 15 tornadoes happen in the whole state of South Carolina per year. Out of the 832, only 34 have resulted in any fatalities, slightly more than one per year.

[neonrider]

NC, SC or GA Sandhills get few tornadoes, because the sandy soil gets very hot and dry and there's not enough moisture in the air to form a (big) tornado. Lexington county is in the SC Sandhills. For example RICHMOND county NC never had a single tornado since 1950.