Want to study in Madison but tornadoes scare me (Janesville: house, transfer)

[Rielah]

Hi guys

I'm seriously considering moving to Madison to finish my undergrad, but I recently found out that Wisconsin has many tornadoes. I'm not native to the US and I had no idea about this until I decided to Google "natural disasters in Wisconsin." I did this last night ~_~ If I had known then I wouldn't have applied to the school. It's a tough decision because I really would like to transfer from my current school and if I turn down UW (haven't heard from the other schools) I'll have to finish my degree at my current school. Something that I'm not looking forward to but if I have to, I will.

I read that people hardly die from the tornadoes but my parents live overseas and I'm worried about how I will worry them if I move to WI and something bad happens. They almost freaked during the few days of blackout due to H. Sandy, even though I managed to keep in contact with them 5/7 days of the power failure.

Also, I have a car (new) and I don't want anything to happen to it. Plus there's all the road salt to think about? I'm in love with Madison and UW and I'm sure I can make it through the cold weather but I'm not sure if the risk of damage and the worrying I might cause my parents is worth it. What do you think? I need to make a decision soon since I'd like to move this spring. Thanks for any help

[ranger17]

tornadoes can happen in WI, but they can happen near anywhere (we've had them down in SC in fact). In all the years i lived in the Madison area, really only 2 that I can recall during my time there were serious. One down in Stoughton in '05, and an "f5" one in Barneveld in the 80's (this was a bad one, we drove thru the destruction afterwards). Those are the closest to Madison that i can remember, any others were more like the occasional funnel cloud that would touch down in a field and take back off. Not sure if the twin lakes affect them from actually hitting in Madison or not, seems like that has something to do with it.

My point, is while there were many times during a storm if we heard the sirens, we went down to the basement, but thankfully nothing ever came of it. And to be honest, strong storms can happen again anywhere. Pick a state, and i bet you'll find something that can happen at any time (hurricane, fire, tornado, earthquake, etc). I lived in WI for 46 years, never did tornadoes affect my thought process, we would just react if something was in play.

As for salt, yes it's something to deal with, once the ice and hardpack cover the pavement. My suggestion, depending on temps, is wash the car once a week +/- including a good underbody wash, at least after a winter storm once roads are all cleared off. I never had any serious rust issues with anythign i owned up there, not counting cars in the 70's but that's another story.

Unless you are planning on living in Madison for years, if the school is the one for you, and you can handle a season or two of winter, go for it and good luck!

just my .02

[nightlysparrow]

I wouldn't so lightly dismiss the cold weather in Madison. The state is at a much higher latitude than PA and if you follow the weather maps, there's a regular dip in the Canadian cold fronts that take in Madison, but don't seem to make it south enough to affect Iowa or Illinois as much.
And don't forget Madison sits on an isthmus, meaning it's sitting between two bodies of water, adding misery from cruel winds not stopped by topography and bone-chilling dampness. Summers are mosquito and humidity fests for the same reason.

Madison is a smart, fun, town, but the weather is particularly awful.

[Bo]

Tornadoes can be an issue in just about every state. In my lifetime, they've gone from an unpredictable mystery to something that we know a day or two in advance is likely to occur. We now have weather radar systems used by TV stations that can identify tornadoes, make an educated guess at their intensity and identify the areas in their path. In an era when so much information is available, the only thing to fear is being uninformed!

If you want to stay informed about tornadoes, buy a weather alert radio (not just a weather radio). A weather alert radio will automatically turn itself on when tornado watches or warnings are issued. You can also subscribe to text message services that will notify you of watches and warnings. If you have those two things, there's no reason you can't stay informed about severe weather 24 hours a day.

I use these tools and there is no place in the USA that I would be afraid to live because of severe weather.

[Ragnar]

I moved from Lancaster, PA to Madison, WI nearly 14 years ago. Yes, it's a lot colder here in the winter and the weather is more extreme. However, the City of Madison does a good job of clearing the streets. In PA, they generally just let it all melt, and a lot of the country roads never got much attention. We had plenty of storms and wind in Eastern PA and there was generally more ice than WI. I wouldn't let the WI weather scare or deter your from attending UW-Madison.

You may also find that by living on/near campus you can leave your car at home. You could always bring it out for a particular semester/summer if you need to get to an internship or something. Parking near the UW campus can be expensive and also a pain to navigate, so it may not be worth it to you for a car that just sits there most of the time. The city bus system is good around campus/downtown too, and Madison is a generally bike friendly city.

[7G9C4J2]

I would second Ragnar's recommendation to leave the car at home. My younger sis got her PhD at the UW, and she was on the waiting list for on-campus parking for three of the seven years she lived here. The campus is big enough that unless you're an avid walker or else have all your classes very close to your living quarters, you'd probably want to either bus or bike, but you surely don't need to have a vehicle unless your major requires you to work out of remote locations.

As to the tornadoes, I have lived in the Midwest from 1957 to 1981 and from 1999 to the present, and in that time, I have had a close encounter with one - count 'em, ONE - tornado. And that was in Michigan. NYC has had more problems with hurricanes and nor'easters in the past half-decade than I've had with tornadoes in my entire life. Yes, they're spectacular, and they get a lot of press, but if you have a weather alert radio and you head for shelter when they announce a tornado warning, you will be fine. Parents will ALWAYS find something to worry about (and I speak with some expertise in this, as my offspring are 27 and 29 years old), so let them worry about tornadoes and they won't stop to think about the parties on State Street you might attend. <grin>

Good luck to you in your educational career at the UW, and we'll watch for you at the Farmers' Market!

[argot]

I guess it's hard to explain if you're not from the U.S., but the reason people hardly die from tornadoes is because they are rare, generally affect a very small area, and usually weaker than the large, destructive tornadoes that the media focuses on. Most people from Wisconsin have never even seen a tornado in person. I purposely go around looking for tornadoes and I've only seen one, and that was by accident when I was 7. Most buildings here also have basements that are great storm shelters, and nowadays, there is plenty of warning time to get to a safe place before a tornadic storm approaches. There is statistically no reason to avoid moving here (or anywhere) due to the risk of tornadoes, but if it's a psychological issue for you, there's probably not much I can say to change your mind.

Your second point is quite valid. If you do choose to bring your car (which isn't a necessity) and are concerned about it, you would probably want an underground parking space, which is usually expensive if you live near downtown. If you're not used to driving in snow, you might want to use public transportation in winter anyway, which would solve the salt issue.

[Megan1967]

Tornadoes are the last thing that you stop you from coming to UW Madison. I have lived in Wisconsin for 45 years, 25 which in Madison, and I have never even seen a tornado.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

Tornadoes are the last thing that you stop you from coming to UW Madison. I have lived in Wisconsin for 45 years, 25 which in Madison, and I have never even seen a tornado.

Were you there in 1984? Within 15 miles of the Capitol. Madison was blowing like hell.
http://media.journalinteractive.com/...dG1_060809.jpg

[Megan1967]

I was in Janesville in 1984. My point is that they are rare here and hardly a reason not to come to the UW if that is a good fit for you otherwise. I do know someone who lost her house to a tornado in 1994, I believe she lived in McFarland or Stoughton at the time. It was tragic, but there was no loss of life despite the extensive property damage.