Moving to Springfield area from Northern MN...nervous... (St. Louis, Joplin: apartment, rent)

[upnorthmn]

Hello all, I am hoping that this forum will put my mind at ease. My wife recently took a job in the Springfield area and we are going to be relocating there. I have been doing some research on the area, and for the most part it looks like it's going to be a fun place to live! Especially with the milder climates in the winter months!

My concerns aren't with the extreme heat, or the ice storms, but mainly are the tornadoes and the possibly high crime rate I have been hearing about? Right now I pretty much have 0 natural disasters to worry about, and to be honest, tornadoes scare the crap out of me. I hate the thought of my wife and child being at home when I am not there and tornado sirens are going off!

I am still very excited to move, but like I say...nervous as heck! I am a big-time hunter and fisherman and am looking forward to all that MO has to offer. That brings me to my next question.....what about all the snakes and spiders down there? Is this something to worry about?

As you can tell I am very 'green' to this new area we are moving to. There are just so many new things down there that I have never had to worry about before. What areas around Springfield would be the best option for myself and my family?

Can anyone answer my questions, or give me their input to maybe put my mind at ease? Any help with these questions would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks so much everyone!

[Nina Sala-Gault]

Tornadoes are becoming a more serious threat nationwide than they were in the past. We have lived in the Springfield area for 45 years and have experienced a couple of life threatening tornadoes. The tornadoes seem to like a path along the southwest side of Springfield known as tornado alley. Try to move to a single family dwelling with a basement, and certainly avoid trailer parks as mobile homes offer zero protection from winds. Try to live on the north east side of Springfield, and if you live in an apartment building make sure shelter is available.

I'm not going to tell you that ALL your worries are unfounded. I am going to tell you that with a few easy precautions, tornadoes are NOT a subject for worry. As for you not being home when a storm hits, your wife and child will be just as safe with or without you, as long as they follow the safety tips for tornadoes. Take shelter, take shelter, take shelter.

I am not sure what high crime rate you are referring to in Springfield, Missouri. I retired from 27 years as a police officer in Springfield, and thought myself fortunate to work in a department that provided training and resources to the officers that helped to keep the crime rate down very low.

Generally speaking, the Southeast area of Springfield has the pricier neighborhoods, however, the northeast part has many new neighborhoods where living is both safe and affordable. The cost of living is relatively low in Springfield.

If you come from a very small town and continue to worry about the crime rate in Springfield, Missouri, you might consider a small town nearby.

Come for a visit and look around.

Good luck, and I hope you get over your fears.

Nina

[8 SNAKE]

Tornadoes are a possibility, but don't scare yourself into thinking that they are more dangerous than you need to. Buy a home with a safe area (basement or tornado shelter would be best). Pay attention to weather forecasts when they call for severe weather. Use basic common sense and you are likely to be fine. Besides, you are WAY, WAY more likely to get hurt (or worse) in a car accident every single day.

As a disclaimer, I have been through a tornado. I was in the basement of our home when it was flattened by a tornado many years ago (as a kid). This was in a small town northwest of St. Louis, and not the Springfield area.

I'm not sure what crime rates you are referring to, either. Springfield feels like a very safe place to me.

Hunting and fishing won't be a problem for you. The deer down here are nothing like you're used to in MN, though. We simply don't have the agriculture to support large deer. I hunt in the northern half of Missouri for precisely this reason. Fishing down here is great, though. You have lakes and rivers to keep you busy all year long. No ice fishing down here, but beyond that you are good to go.

Snakes and spiders have never been a problem for me. I've lived down here for 13 years and I've never seen a poisonous snake. They're around, but I have never encountered one.

[upnorthmn]

Nina and 8 snake, I appreciate your responses. I am not 'terrified' of tornados or anything, I just have never had to deal with them or worry about them. Much less even have to worry about my house being wrecked by one. I will definately have to buy a house with a basement, that's for sure!

As far as the crime rate, I am not so much worried about that. I read that it was bad somewhere on here, but from what I'm gathering it shouldn't be a problem. Every city, state, has the same type of problems....just some more than others.

Again the snakes and spiders I have never had to worry about before. I just wonder being the outdoorsman that I am...will I have to worry about them when I'm walking to my deerstand at dawn/dusk? Or will I have to worry about my 3 month old daughter playing in the back yard?

8 snake, maybe you can help me with this question. Since I am a very avid hunter and fisherman, which outlying area of Springfield would you recommend me to look at houses? I also am into catfishing, and would love to be near some good catfish waters. Well...or any solid town that is close to some good fishing? We are coming down to Springfield a week from today to take a tour and look at homes....I have picked out some homes in the surrounding communities of Springfield (Nixa, Marshfield, Clever, Ozark, etc) but I'm not sure if these are all good locations for me and my family?

Thanks again for all your help! This is valuable information!

[8 SNAKE]

Originally Posted by upnorthmn

Again the snakes and spiders I have never had to worry about before. I just wonder being the outdoorsman that I am...will I have to worry about them when I'm walking to my deerstand at dawn/dusk? Or will I have to worry about my 3 month old daughter playing in the back yard?

You won't have to worry about snakes while walking to your deer stand. The snakes will be sleepy that time of year and you won't see them out and about.

Doubt you'll have to worry about snakes in your back yard much, either. I've seen plenty of black snakes and other harmless varieties while outside, but they're nothing to worry about. Others may have different experiences, so to each his own.

Originally Posted by upnorthmn

8 snake, maybe you can help me with this question. Since I am a very avid hunter and fisherman, which outlying area of Springfield would you recommend me to look at houses? I also am into catfishing, and would love to be near some good catfish waters. Well...or any solid town that is close to some good fishing? We are coming down to Springfield a week from today to take a tour and look at homes....I have picked out some homes in the surrounding communities of Springfield (Nixa, Marshfield, Clever, Ozark, etc) but I'm not sure if these are all good locations for me and my family?

Are you planning to buy property to hunt and live on?

Honestly, any of those places keeps you within a very reasonable distance of rivers and lakes that you can fish for just about anything (including catfish). I'd give the most consideration to Ozark and Nixa, but that's simply because I like those two areas a lot. You mentioned a daughter, so at some point school districts will become a factor for you. Nixa and Ozark have two of the best districts in the region. I chose Nixa and am quite happy here.

[misplaced1]

Hi,
I haven't been to southern Missouri, I did live up north for 2 years, but we have family down in Joplin and they seem pretty happy.

Definitely buy or rent a house with a good solid dry basement. Make sure you have a fresh kit there with lights and radio and water or whatever else you think you might need just so you know it's there and if the sirens sound your family can safely go there and not worry aobut digging everything up to take. I had a TV also in the basement and could watch the storm track on that during a warning too. They can pretty much let you know what side of town and what streets it is likely to impact if a tornado touches down.

I moved to Missouri from Northern Ca. and here the biggest threat is fire really. I was a little unprepared when I moved there because it seemed it was a busy couple of years for warnings and I had only expected it to occur occasionally. I think the biggest thing is to have a place you feel safe in case the rare hit would occur. The first house we had, our "saferoom" was a closet and the second we had a leak issue in the basement and of course when the warnings were going off it was raining like heck.

I've already bought a house in Missouri and will be moving back, Norther Missouri next spring. My plan is to make sure I have a comfortable dry place to hang out if the storms get rocky. My house has been there for 90 years so it's lived some Missouri weather.

[upnorthmn]

8 snake... Yeah I would like to purchase a minimum of 3 acres or so with a house on it. But I'm going into it assuming that I won't be able to hunt my own property.

What rivers are close by you that hold catfish? I'm trying to get a better feel for the fishing around there, and where people fish the most. The closer the better! Having a tough time getting that information.

Good to hear about the school districts down there...that is very important also! I have a few houses on my list that are in the Nixa/Ozark areas, might have to consider them more than others!?

[8 SNAKE]

Originally Posted by upnorthmn

What rivers are close by you that hold catfish? I'm trying to get a better feel for the fishing around there, and where people fish the most. The closer the better! Having a tough time getting that information.

I believe that the James and Finley rivers have catfish. You can also fish Stockton, Table Rock and Pomme De Terre lakes. You'll notice that the rivers down here are rock bottomed, instead of the mud that you may be used to. I'm not sure how MN rivers are, but in northern MO many of the rivers are mud bottomed. Catfish prefer the mud.

Hunting may be a bit trickier. I've never hunted public land before, so I can't really comment about it. I would say that the best places are usually private land that you can obtain permission to hunt on. That's simply a matter of making connections and knocking on some doors. You might also look into some local hunting organizations, like the NWTF. Those places are usually great to network, especially in a new area.

[christina0001]

I haven't been to northern MN, so the crime may be more or less than what you are used to. But, I feel very safe in Springfield. People are nice and friendly; where ever I've shopped or visited, I have felt completely safe.
Warmer weather = more critters. But, I moved here after living in a few places further north, including northeastern Pennsylvania, and I haven't noticed any real difference. I'm not in town, I live out in the country, and sure, if I move rocks or rake a pile of leaves, a spider or snake (or lizard, or bugs) may come out. But it's not been a big deal.
I'm sure you will really like it here. Welcome to Missouri!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by upnorthmn

Hello all, I am hoping that this forum will put my mind at ease. My wife recently took a job in the Springfield area and we are going to be relocating there. I have been doing some research on the area, and for the most part it looks like it's going to be a fun place to live! Especially with the milder climates in the winter months!

My concerns aren't with the extreme heat, or the ice storms, but mainly are the tornadoes and the possibly high crime rate I have been hearing about? Right now I pretty much have 0 natural disasters to worry about, and to be honest, tornadoes scare the crap out of me. I hate the thought of my wife and child being at home when I am not there and tornado sirens are going off!

I am still very excited to move, but like I say...nervous as heck! I am a big-time hunter and fisherman and am looking forward to all that MO has to offer. That brings me to my next question.....what about all the snakes and spiders down there? Is this something to worry about?

As you can tell I am very 'green' to this new area we are moving to. There are just so many new things down there that I have never had to worry about before. What areas around Springfield would be the best option for myself and my family?

Can anyone answer my questions, or give me their input to maybe put my mind at ease? Any help with these questions would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks so much everyone!

I am familiar with both northern MN and southern MO and they have absolutely nothing in common. If you can easily adapt to a new place and network quickly you should do fine. The landscape in MO is much different than MN. MO has no lakes and no pine trees for the most part. MO DOES have many man-made reservoirs Southern MO is also in the severe weather belt, which seems to have gotten worse over the past several years. The SW corner of MO is tornado alley for sure. Be prepared for quite a bit of rainfall in MO compared with MN. Most of southern MO is at the lower extent of the Midwest with very strong Ozark influences throughout. Springfield is by far the largest town in southern MO and sits on a plateau at 1250ft in elevation.
I think another HUGE HUGE difference you will notice is the more intense sun angle in MO and less noticeable seasonal differences in the amount of daylight in summer compared with winter. The sun angle south of 40N latitude gets more intense, and can often melt of snow fast- even in the middle of winter. If you have very fair skin- invest in lots of suncreen. You will also probably not need the snowblower as the average snowfall for Springfield is in the 15-20 inch range.