about these tornadoes (Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Mitchell: low income, insurance, crime)
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I am looking at Sioux Falls for retirement in a couple of years. I have been doing lots of research of a variety things such as cost of living, home costs, taxes, etc, etc and Sioux Falls is really coming up as a top candidate. Of course weather is something to consider but I hate extreme heat and extreme cold, as do most people, so that is what it is. Basically only Southern California is ideal for that and I can't afford that area. I do have to think about how to deal with shoveling snow in my older years and considerations like that.
Preamble over -
Tell me about these tornados (tornadoes?) They have me worried. How frequent are they? How bad are they? How much extra do you have to second on tornado insurance? Any info on this topic is helpful.
A South Dakota divorce and a tornado have one thing in common.
Someone is going to lose a trailer house.
We are on the edge of tornado alley. In the last 23 years two towns were destroyed by tornados. Spencer in 1998 and Manchester in 2003. They happen. The biggest insurance claims for property damage is hail.
Usually, they are less frequent than they are in Oklahoma. The damage is usually focused on a small area.
Just want to warn you to take your dislike of extreme heat and cold seriously as you're considering the Sioux Falls area, because SE SD has EXACTLY that kind of weather. I find the summers here to be awful. If I were you I'd look elsewhere based on that alone. You might want to look at Western SD, which at least has dry heat and cold.
As for tornadoes, it's just the luck of the draw here in the middle of the country. I confess to really enjoying the wild thunderstorms of the Midwest.
Just want to warn you to take your dislike of extreme heat and cold seriously as you're considering the Sioux Falls area, because SE SD has EXACTLY that kind of weather. I find the summers here to be awful. If I were you I'd look elsewhere based on that alone. You might want to look at Western SD, which at least has dry heat and cold.
As for tornadoes, it's just the luck of the draw here in the middle of the country. I confess to really enjoying the wild thunderstorms of the Midwest.
The humidity on the east side of the state is awful. It gets warm out west, too. We have our share of storms. An occasional tornado and copious amounts of hail. I would suggest Colorado as a place to land.
Location: Somewhere gray and damp, close to the West Coast
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Originally Posted by 601halfdozen0theother
Just want to warn you to take your dislike of extreme heat and cold seriously as you're considering the Sioux Falls area, because SE SD has EXACTLY that kind of weather. I find the summers here to be awful. If I were you I'd look elsewhere based on that alone. You might want to look at Western SD, which at least has dry heat and cold.
As for tornadoes, it's just the luck of the draw here in the middle of the country. I confess to really enjoying the wild thunderstorms of the Midwest.
Born and raised in Sioux Falls, and I loved the thunderstorms too.
South Dakota (Sioux Falls specifically) is super boring for summertime weather. Tornadoes are the least of your worries compared to hail and snowstorms. That thing that happened in 2019? Total oddity. First tornado that hit the town destructively in over 50 years. It'll be another 50 before we see one again.
Historically, South Dakota has been part of "Tornado Alley" and there have been some great videos shot throughout the years - we have had a few whoppers. But they are so few and far between compared to Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, that we really should not be part of that moniker. It's all shifting east anyhow. Mississippi, Indiana, and Alabama are where they are at now.
Wife and I complain that nothing interesting weather-wise happens here. We watch the radar and then subsequently watch the weather pattern break up before it hits Sioux Falls. We got some rain yesterday though. But no thunder. The whole area is boring in many ways, weather being one of them.
You will get extreme heat (95+) in the summer, though the humidity is not bad. You will get extreme cold in the winter to the point of it being deadly (low as -20). There's about 6-10 weeks total out of the year that I could compare to California as being not too hot or too cold. There's not enough amenities or outdoor activities here to put up with the horrible winters, the stupidly hot summers with no exciting weather, and only a window of time to sit outside and enjoy God's work.
Edit : I can see you're from Orlando. Orlando's bad enough, but you'll be bored as hell here in comparison. Give it a try, it may be for you, but this town punches way under its weight for amenities, food, beer, wine, shopping, outdoors, and actual culture. The locals will tell you it's great and all that, probably living here all their lives, but compared to other 170k pop towns, we have very little to offer in comparison.
Just want to warn you to take your dislike of extreme heat and cold seriously as you're considering the Sioux Falls area, because SE SD has EXACTLY that kind of weather. I find the summers here to be awful. If I were you I'd look elsewhere based on that alone. You might want to look at Western SD, which at least has dry heat and cold.
Thanks for saying this. It will help me in deciding between RC, and Mitchell, SD. Still concerned about the softball sized hail I hear about.
The dry heat of western SD is not dry heat. It is "slightly drier" heat. You will still sweat through your clothes. Mitchell is essentially eastern SD. That town is super boring too, I've never even visited the Corn Palace, but they have one of two Cabela's in the state. Shrug.
Rapid City is immensely more exciting. I cannot stress that enough. Expect some culture clashing between natives and whites though. It's not without merit.
The dry heat of western SD is not dry heat. It is "slightly drier" heat. You will still sweat through your clothes. Mitchell is essentially eastern SD. That town is super boring too, I've never even visited the Corn Palace, but they have one of two Cabela's in the state. Shrug.
Rapid City is immensely more exciting. I cannot stress that enough. Expect some culture clashing between natives and whites though. It's not without merit.
Bison and Elk hunting is primo, though.
Thanks for the input. Yes, RC is west river, and Mitchell is east river. The company that runs these low income senior apts I'm checking out only has them in certain cities, and towns in SD, and Iowa. I've narrowed it down to these two. And yes, RC has more to offer. In Mitchell I don't care about the Corn Palace, or Cabelas which is over priced. But they have a well reviewed Mexican restaurant called El Columpino (the swing). And the hiking trails around Lake Mitchell sound like fun. I think that's about it, lol.
And they are trying to clean up the lake too. The storms can be freaky as well. My main concerns in RC are fires, large hail, and the crime which is worse on the north side. The native/white issues are troubling too. Oh well, it's always something.
Sorry, I'm not trying to take over this thread. To tie it in with the OP, I am worried about tornadoes too. One of the apts is in Vermillion, and there is a cool photo of a giant wall cloud right over that town. Photos, and videos are one thing, but seeing one of those things right over your head is another.
The dry heat of western SD is not dry heat. It is "slightly drier" heat. You will still sweat through your clothes. Mitchell is essentially eastern SD. That town is super boring too, I've never even visited the Corn Palace, but they have one of two Cabela's in the state. Shrug.
Rapid City is immensely more exciting. I cannot stress that enough. Expect some culture clashing between natives and whites though. It's not without merit.
Bison and Elk hunting is primo, though.
There is no Bison season. You can buy it in the store. They are often raised like cattle. Elk licenses are by draw. Even with preference points it is hard to get an elk tag.
I am not impressed with the folks to run Rapid City. The lack foresight and the ability to look at the totality of the situation.
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It will help me in deciding between RC, and Mitchell, SD. Still concerned about the softball sized hail I hear about.
