Manhattan KS Tornadoes (Dodge City, Plains, Riley: insurance, houses, tornado)

[ch1]

Dear all

I love the Midwest & I would like to relocate to Manhattan, Kansas. Is it possible to the middle aged to manage the tornado warnings & live peacefully? Please advise.

[Taiko]

When I was at Fort Riley just to the west I saw none in three years

[Okey Dokie]

I have lived in the Midwest all of my 68 years and have managed tornado warnings and lived peacefully my entire life. I have never seen a tornado or even a funnel cloud. I can count on two hands the times I have taken cover in the basement during a tornado warning.

Tornadoes are something to be aware of in spring and summer but certainly nothing to obsess about.

[thriftylefty]

Its not always technically a tornado that you need to be aware of. Kansas has some high winds that can be pretty destructive. One event near a relative's home took the roofs off several houses, flattened some metal barns and brought trees down for a mile along a street. The tree removal took more than a week with all the county's resources. My relative had a sixty foot green healthy hackberry tree pulled up out of the ground and laid across his driveway. Some houses were moved off their foundations and five or six years later they are still fighting with the insurance company. Two or three houses still have the blue tarps covering their roofs. This was not a tornado just a high wind event.

When the Greenburg Kansas tornado happened I was traveling through the area. I probably got through there at dusk. People were all lined up near a field looking at this ominous green wall cloud. They knew they were going to get hammered. About forty five minutes later I got to Dodge City and hunkered down and turned on the Weather. You could hear it in the weatherman's voice he knew this was a bad one. So you will get sufficient notice. When I traveled back that way on Sunday I saw the aftermath, acres of dead cows an fires. Basically people set their pile of rubble alight and waited for the insurance check. People who are in limbo after these events try to skate by on insurance.

[AnywhereElse]

I live about 20 miles from Manhattan. We have lived around the US, but in this city over twice living here, about 12 years. We lived in Manhattan probably 2 years in the 1980s also. I have never seen a tornado. One mentioned winds, and wind gusts have become fairly severe, up to almost 50 mph with sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph. That does a lot of tree damage, and one doesn't really want to be out in such weather. You WILL get tornado warnings for Riley County though, but you will probably get used to it over time. You might feel better if you have a storm shelter or basement, especially when they say you should seek shelter. I just go out and look at the sky like Grandpa did, and decide what to do depending on what I see.

I do wonder why you are considering Manhattan. If you want to be concerned about something, a better choice might be:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/...ogical-agents/

"The USDA will operate the new $1.25 billion biosafety level-4 laboratories the federal government is building in Manhattan, KS. A biosafety level 4 laboratory provides the highest level of containment facilities to isolate the most dangerous biological agents, meaning those with high fatality rates and no known treatments, such as the Ebola virus."

In the first 50 years, they estimate there is an 80% of something getting outside of the facility. Yeah, I am looking to relocate anyway, as the area both where we are and Manhattan has had such an increase in the cost of living and the crime.

Tornadoes compared to other threats? I'll take the chance of a natural disaster any day!

[Floorist]

In recent years, most bad tornadoes have been in Oklahoma and south of there.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Floorist

In recent years, most bad tornadoes have been in Oklahoma and south of there.

The major tornado belt has shifted to Dixie Alley due to the Great Plains region continuing to get drier over time due to warming climate.

[mshultz]

Severe weather is not limited to Kansas. Some years ago, I had a tornado pass close enough to my home that I could hear it. Had I looked out my front window, I might have been able to see it. Last year, we had a derecho that caused no damage to my home, but left me without power for nearly 7 days. A few years ago, there was another smaller derecho that took out some large trees on my land, but again without damaging my home. And then there was the ice storm that left me without power for 4 days.

[Rivertowntalk]

I have taken cover more times for severe thunderstorms and straight-line winds many, many times. For tornadoes, maybe 10-15 times. Some have been very close, but not a direct hit. Others have been further away, but it could not be determined which direction they would go. I have seen a lot of tornado damage and know people who have been hit by tornadoes and some lost their homes. Have had hail damage numerous times and water damage. Also, have had some tree damage from thunderstorms and ice storms.

[AnywhereElse]

Manhattan/Riley County weather disasteres:

Manhattan, KS Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes - USA.comâ„¢.