Tell me about the tornadoes please. (Topeka, Olathe: 2013, new house, school)

[calitalia]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I are trying to decide between Leawood, KS and Carmel, IN. I just returned from a trip to KC and like the area. We grew up in Southern Illinois and the St Louis area and remember tornadoes but the volume of tornadoes in KS are scaring us away. Please tell me about the everyday life in East KS. The stats say that you had 180 tornadoes in 2009. Does that translate to warnings everyday during the season? Thanks.

[bev osborn]

I used to live in eastern Kansas--Olathe,Gardner,Topeka and Lawrence--now I live in Western Ks which so far had 1 very tiny tornado in our town and no big ones for decades.
According to some of the oldest people here,no one ever recalls a tornado of any size hitting here.
I would not live in the eastern part of the state due to the tornadoes.And the horrible HUMIDITY.I would say that I recall warnings about half the time.If you have a basement,you are better off.Remember that a warning does not always mean one is on the way--out here,we have many such warnings.Often,a tornado may be spotted that dies out in the air.Sometimes,it may do some tiny damage to a field.Sometimes,they just seem to suddlenly disappear or it is a false sighting or the tornado will lose its power and simply become strong wind.But, remember tornado alley runs from Texas all the way to Minnesota.Indiana also has tornadoes,though not as many as Ks.
Just fyi, Kansas does hold the record for the most F5 tornadoes.Those are the super big ones.If I were you and you are that afraid,i would not move here.You might end up really nervous over the warnings and that could affect your health.
Out here,we get so used to the sirens going off at every little storm that we tend to ignore them.Guess we are sort of like fatalists---if it's gonna happen,not much you can do. So far,we are spoiled because not much ever seems to happen.
But,hey,just fyi,in your shoes, I would go with Indiana------just sayin------Best of luck to you in your move!!!!!

[bev osborn]

I do understand about liking eastern ks-it is pretty and does have a lot of mild weather.I would still be there except for a couple of things,I do feel that the eastern part of ks has a lot more going for it in the economic dept than where I live.I'm just sort of picking up on your dread of the tornado threat and that's why I said what I did,because when a person feels a sort of foreboding about something they are moving to,and I have,several times,it does not work out,in general.Everyone always says you take your problems with you,and that is true,but I have also found that where you live can cause a million more.Again,best wishes in your search.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by calitalia

Hello everyone,

My wife and I are trying to decide between Leawood, KS and Carmel, IN. I just returned from a trip to KC and like the area. We grew up in Southern Illinois and the St Louis area and remember tornadoes but the volume of tornadoes in KS are scaring us away. Please tell me about the everyday life in East KS. The stats say that you had 180 tornadoes in 2009. Does that translate to warnings everyday during the season? Thanks.

What you need to understand is that KS in TOTAL gets LOTS of small F0-F1 tornados in the far western part of the state which is skewing your stats.

With regards to more severe tornados, Leawood has about the same risk as most places in the midwest. They haven't had a serious tornado around that area in 30 years or more.

Here is a good source:
http://www.disastersafety.org/wp-con...lysis_IBHS.pdf

Note that Leawood and Carmel are pretty much in the same risk coloration.

Either place is about the same risk as southern IL. (I grew up in IL and went to school in Champaign, IL)

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by bev osborn

Just fyi, Kansas does hold the record for the most F5 tornadoes.Those are the super big ones.

OK has the most F5's and the vast majority of severe tornados are in south central KS and the western part and north eastern parts are nowhere near at risk.

List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[calitalia]

Thank you for the replies. We'll continue with the research.

[geog-fanatic]

For in-depth tornado research, try this site: Tornado History Project: Maps and Statistics

You can investigate tornadoes back to 1950 for any state or county. It will also let you filter by Fujita strenth, and you can see the number of injuries and deaths caused by each. I find it very useful.

[WyoNewk]

I was born and spent my first 12-13 years in NE Kansas, then moved to Iowa. My mom liked the idea of moving to Iowa because tornadoes scared the wits out of her. (Skip ahead a decade.) My older sister and her husband bought a farm a few miles out of town. In the first 10-15 years there they were hit with 5 (yes FIVE) major tornadoes, each one taking one or two farm buildings and a tree or two. The house was the only thing spared, but it was getting old so they finally tore it down and built a new one. The next year a twister came through and took the roof from the new house and nabbed the attached garage.

Some places get more tornadoes, but almost anywhere you can pick you're at risk from one. I wouldn't rule out Kansas due to tornado activity. Just get a place with a basement or storm cellar.

[bev osborn]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

OK has the most F5's and the vast majority of severe tornados are in south central KS and the western part and north eastern parts are nowhere near at risk.

List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On a site called tornado alley,and also THE NAT WEATHER SERVICE which I trust more than Wikipedia which is written by amateurs--also the book about the huge tornado that wrecked Topeka ks-it's called And Hell Came with it--all say that Ks has recorded the most f5s.

[bev osborn]

Also, I sure would not make the bald statement that N E ks is "nowhere near at risk".Any place in the south or Midwest U S is at risk,particularly the places in what is called"tornadao alley".