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Responses so far all center around the UPPER Midwest. Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri Illinois, Indiana and one can argue Kentucky's upper half is also Midwestern or even Tulsa. The problem for a guy moving from blast furnace Arizona to the Upper Midwest is a temperature swing of significance during the winter, more so than the variance during the summer. The problem with states west of St. Louis is scenery is as bland as it gets - flat/prairie dominant landscapes. Why not a Louisville, Cincy or Columbus? Indiana is pretty flat too but from what I've read, its as affordable as Milwaukee, safer and more centralized for air travel.
The upper midwest has been the focus due to the OP not wanting to deal with natural disasters. I live next to Lake Michigan and honestly don’t give the weather much thought the majority of the time.
The lower midwest tends to be more tornado prone and in some cases, more prone to ice storms that they don’t always deal with very well.
Cold and snow aren’t disastrous in and of themselves, especially in areas equipped for it.
Responses so far all center around the UPPER Midwest. Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri Illinois, Indiana and one can argue Kentucky's upper half is also Midwestern or even Tulsa. The problem for a guy moving from blast furnace Arizona to the Upper Midwest is a temperature swing of significance during the winter, more so than the variance during the summer. The problem with states west of St. Louis is scenery is as bland as it gets - flat/prairie dominant landscapes. Why not a Louisville, Cincy or Columbus? Indiana is pretty flat too but from what I've read, its as affordable as Milwaukee, safer and more centralized for air travel.
Bland, flat landscapes don't work to discourage people from living there. For starters, while not Midwest, Ft. Worth has been growing so crazy fast that close to 1 million people live there.
Outside of that, as already mentioned the primary threats are weather-related. Tornado risk, generally speaking, is lower as you go farther north. Same comment for derecho risk. Of course the northern locations have more serious winter storms, but they are mostly a matter of being prepared to stay at home for a few days, possibly without electricity.
Personal safety is more a matter of the exact neighborhood you choose, and not the state.
Outside of that, as already mentioned the primary threats are weather-related. Tornado risk, generally speaking, is lower as you go farther north. Same comment for derecho risk. Of course the northern locations have more serious winter storms, but they are mostly a matter of being prepared to be at home for several days, possibly without electricity.
Personal safety is more a matter of the exact neighborhood you choose, and not the state.
The New Madrid is the real deal. I'd avoid that, but who know when or if a major one goes off again in our lifetimes.
Snow storms here in Wisconsin generally won't knock out the power or leave you stranded. Once the snow stops, the roads are quickly cleared and are good to go.
In Missouri and Arkansas, I've known people who were stranded for days during ice storms and have seen the ice drag down a mile or two of power lines along the highway leaving some of the locals without power for quite a long while. Seems like there was always some sort of weather-related catastrophe: floods, tornadoes, ice storms, lightning strikes, straight-line winds, etc. Those things can happen anywhere but that part of the country is particularly volatile.
Snow storms here in Wisconsin generally won't knock out the power or leave you stranded. Once the snow stops, the roads are quickly cleared and are good to go.
Sure, normally a person isn't stuck at home for more than a day or so. With that said, it is the unusual events that tend to get people into trouble.
IMO, one of the cheapest forms of "insurance" in a cold climate is keeping a winter-rated sleeping bag in the car trunk. It doesn't need to be a fancy North Face bag... just rated to -20 F or lower. Probably will never need it, but in an emergency situation it could save your life. Also, if a person comes across an automobile accident, a sleeping bag can be unzipped and used as a blanket to keep a victim warm until EMS arrives.
The upper midwest has been the focus due to the OP not wanting to deal with natural disasters. I live next to Lake Michigan and honestly don’t give the weather much thought the majority of the time.
The lower midwest tends to be more tornado prone and in some cases, more prone to ice storms that they don’t always deal with very well.
Cold and snow aren’t disastrous in and of themselves, especially in areas equipped for it.
I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to take cover from a tornado or dealt with an ice storm while living in Indianapolis 15 years and Southern Indiana 10 years. It is true that MKE and northern Midwestern locales are less prone to natural disasters, the gap isn't huge. In fact, they just had a round of severe weather right outside MKE.
Everyone in this thread is downplaying the biggest problem with the weather in the Midwest. It isn't the natural disasters, but how cold and gray it is for months on end in the winter. Sure, some people get used to it. But come on. You're all acting like winter is a cake walk or "they are mostly a matter of being prepared to stay at home for a few days, possibly without electricity". Just be prepared for a few days when it's below freezing without electricity??!!?? What?!!?!!? You can't say that then act like it isn't a big deal. Your pipes may burst. You might have to to go a warming center. You might have to cook outside in the cold over a campfire. These aren't non-issues for most people.
Last edited by Toxic Toast; 08-02-2021 at 01:20 PM..
I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to take cover from a tornado or dealt with an ice storm while living in Indianapolis 15 years and Southern Indiana 10 years. It is true that MKE and northern Midwestern locales are less prone to natural disasters, the gap isn't huge. In fact, they just had a round of severe weather right outside MKE.
Yeah you can definitely be exposed to severe weather in the upper Midwest. I think the difference is the number of deadly storms or those with substantial or widespread property damage are less frequent than those in the more flat/southern Midwest states. Most tornado's in Michigan don't get above an F1. In my 10 years living in Grand Rapids I went through several, they just didn't do much more than topple a few tree's and blow some lawn chairs over. Widespread events with heavy damage can occur, but the examples are about once every 20-50 years depending on the type of event.
There is no place completely immune to natural disaster, though the upper Midwest definitely falls into the "much less frequent" category.
I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to take cover from a tornado or dealt with an ice storm while living in Indianapolis 15 years and Southern Indiana 10 years
Certainly these events are not a frequent occurrence for any single person. But when they happen it can be a big mess. My brother's house was in the path of the derecho that swept through the Midwest last summer. Most of the large trees on his acreage went down, and the office where he works was closed for a week. Thankfully their house didn't sustain any serious damage.
I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to take cover from a tornado or dealt with an ice storm while living in Indianapolis 15 years and Southern Indiana 10 years. It is true that MKE and northern Midwestern locales are less prone to natural disasters, the gap isn't huge. In fact, they just had a round of severe weather right outside MKE.
Everyone in this thread is downplaying the biggest problem with the weather in the Midwest. It isn't the natural disasters, but how cold and gray it is for months on end in the winter. Sure, some people get used to it. But come on. You're all acting like winter is a cake walk or "they are mostly a matter of being prepared to stay at home for a few days, possibly without electricity". Just be prepared for a few days when it's below freezing without electricity??!!?? What?!!?!!? You can't say that then act like it isn't a big deal. Your pipes may burst. You might have to to go a warming center. You might have to cook outside in the cold over a campfire. These aren't non-issues for most people.
Cold and grey, sure. Still, it's no more of a problem than the searing sun or oppressive humidity.
People can adapt. More people lived in these cold areas before modern technology than they did in the southwest, which should say something. We tried cramming everyone into coastal southern California but it didn't work out too well.
Again, in Wisconsin, "days without electricity" isn't as much of a concern as it is in other parts of the country.
It would be a freakish disaster of epic proportions, but then again, such would be the case anywhere.
In no way is that the norm. Not at all.
Warming centers, cooking outside over a campfire? Never heard of it, but I guess it could happen?
Pipes bursting? This isn't Texas. They know how to build for that here. Of course, you can't get by with shoddy craftsmanship in these parts nor can you sit around and not make sure things stay warm.
Stuff like that is only an issue when people don't keep things maintained.
As for those tornado's, they were inland, which I did point out is more prone. Still, it's far less of an issue than when I lived in points further south.
Last edited by sub; 08-02-2021 at 01:39 PM..
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