Where is it safe in the USA?

[binny]

Safest maybe in terms of crime and general activity....

But Honolulu--can get wiped out by a Tsunami.

yeah I thought so too but I was quoting the Forbes article. They rated places on past history and Honolulu came out on top.

I dont think the crime rate is that low there. At least it wasnt when we were there.

 

[ahutton]

After living here for 6 months, I do. Maybe not Dallas persay but Texas is really, really, really NICE!!!!
Drought, heat, HA! Don't let these Texans fool you! They have GREAT WEATHER, shopping, things to do and JOBS and they take it for granted.

We don't take it for granted, we LOVE Texas! Austin is beautiful, not too muggy in summer (we get a short burst every year but it isn't the whole summer), we've had one ice storm in the 5 years we've been here. San Antonio is also lovely, and lots of small towns like Kerrville, Boerne... Tornados are very rare down here, not too cold, and the worst heat is usually very short lived.

 

[momof2inPA]

There really isn't much that is "debilitating" about winter. Once every of 5-6 years we might get weather cold enough to cancel school but that usually only lasts a day or so. It isn't like you can't go out in the weather, you just have to bundle up. People have a LOT of misconceptions about the north. In the NE and mid-Atlantic, yes, a snowfall of more then 6" or so does shut things down but only because they don't happen all that often and they don't have the volume of snow removal equipment that we have in the upper Midwest.

People CAN and DO live in extreme cold, but I wouldn't consider what we have "extreme" cold other then a few days of the year. You wear sweaters and pants along with a winter coat and gloves and you can stay outside in the cold for a long time.

That's funny. My friend just moved back to PA after living in MN. Here, the cold is bearable. You wear a coat, some mittens, you're good to go. There, they had to thaw the locks and wear a ski suit to go anywhere in the winter. The grocery delivery service where she lived in MN did a pretty good business because no one wanted to go out from the beginning of Nov. until mid March. They never cancel school unless it's too cold, because too cold is like 40 below. She said the native MN's have become immune to the cold, like they've grown a thicker skin to counter the cold.

The cold might be a-ok for you, but I couldn't stand it. No way. I couldn't stand the extreme heat, either. I couldn't live south of Pensacola, in Houston, or in the dessert. Somewhere in middle America suits me just fine.

 

[Galahad]

There's always Indiana but of course you have to be able to handle the boredom. Everything in our town rolls up about 9pm each night. Our movie theater is only open Sat. and Sun. nights, 1 screen and only 1 showing each night.

You must live in a different Indiana than I do.

 

[chrissyk]

Most everywhere has it's extreme weather. Where we used to live in MA was the site of a catastrophic F5 tornado 50 years ago. Horrible, extreme weather can happen ANYWHERE. You just deal with the climate that you live in as best as you can and try to be prepared. Honestly, though, I feel a lot safer dealing with the occasional hurricaine than I did dealing with 8-9 months of bitter, potentially deadly cold, ice storms, blizzards, a basement that would flood out if we were w/o power for more than 5 minutes (hence the generator...), etc. You have to live where YOU feel the safest.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It costs me less to heat AND cool my home for a year then it does for people in the south to cool their homes for a summer-this according to what people post here for air conditioning costs on occasional posts. People have reported cooling bills in the $300+/month range in Florida, etc. An average monthly heat bill for our house is MAYBE $100-150. Air conditioning costs me an extra $25/month or so in the summer. In the northern states most of the energy companies have heating assistance for the poor. I

And did I miss the part where you said you lived in Alaska?

I'm sure you don't have a medical condition that makes living in the cold unbearable as some of the population of the US deals with.

Some cannot live in the extreme cold and my reply was a general reply. I am glad you like where you live and have no problems living there.

And btw--these suggestions in general are silly b/c we can't move the entire country to these areas anyway.

No place is weather proof and no place is danger proof. Some are better than others....but the level of danger changes as you increase the population.

 

[Planogirl]

We don't take it for granted, we LOVE Texas! Austin is beautiful, not too muggy in summer (we get a short burst every year but it isn't the whole summer), we've had one ice storm in the 5 years we've been here. San Antonio is also lovely, and lots of small towns like Kerrville, Boerne... Tornados are very rare down here, not too cold, and the worst heat is usually very short lived.

Sure,if you don't mind it being over 100 degrees several days a year. I do prefer that to cold, I must admit.

Austin is nice, Dallas not so much. JMO.

 

[corie161]

It costs me less to heat AND cool my home for a year then it does for people in the south to cool their homes for a summer-this according to what people post here for air conditioning costs on occasional posts. People have reported cooling bills in the $300+/month range in Florida, etc. An average monthly heat bill for our house is MAYBE $100-150. Air conditioning costs me an extra $25/month or so in the summer. In the northern states most of the energy companies have heating assistance for the poor. I

n MN and this general region, it takes snowfalls of well over 2 feet before it takes more then a day to plow out. There really isn't much that is "debilitating" about winter. Once every of 5-6 years we might get weather cold enough to cancel school but that usually only lasts a day or so. It isn't like you can't go out in the weather, you just have to bundle up. People have a LOT of misconceptions about the north. In the NE and mid-Atlantic, yes, a snowfall of more then 6" or so does shut things down but only because they don't happen all that often and they don't have the volume of snow removal equipment that we have in the upper Midwest.

People CAN and DO live in extreme cold, but I wouldn't consider what we have "extreme" cold other then a few days of the year. You wear sweaters and pants along with a winter coat and gloves and you can stay outside in the cold for a long time.

Unless you are really stupid and go outside in shorts and t-shirts in the winter, it is pretty safe here.

I agree, I think there is a major misconception about the weather in Minnesota. People assume that we are bundled up walking around in our parkas 365 days a year.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I agree, I think there is a major misconception about the weather in Minnesota. People assume that we are bundled up walking around in our parkas 365 days a year.

The OP listed more than just Minnesota.

And there is no misconception that some due to medical conditions--must live where it is warm for most of the year.

I think people also assume that Florida gets a hurricane weekly during hurricane season and that it is hot and humid 365 days a year. When really--it is just two months that are "bad".

Aside from the danger that exists right now with Wilma--it is actually a nice blustery day where I am at. Tomorrow will be back to normal!

 

[corie161]

That's funny. My friend just moved back to PA after living in MN. Here, the cold is bearable. You wear a coat, some mittens, you're good to go. There, they had to thaw the locks and wear a ski suit to go anywhere in the winter. The grocery delivery service where she lived in MN did a pretty good business because no one wanted to go out from the beginning of Nov. until mid March. They never cancel school unless it's too cold, because too cold is like 40 below. She said the native MN's have become immune to the cold, like they've grown a thicker skin to counter the cold.

The cold might be a-ok for you, but I couldn't stand it. No way. I couldn't stand the extreme heat, either. I couldn't live south of Pensacola, in Houston, or in the dessert. Somewhere in middle America suits me just fine.

Sorry I had to laugh at this. The ONLY time I drag my snowsuit (pants actually) is when I'm heading outside to play with the kids. It's not a daily thing at all! And as far as the locks...only in extreme icy weather would the locks be frozen over, and 9 time out of 10 I park outside all winter. The extreme cold you talk of usually doesn't head out until possible Jan/Feb, no way in November and definately not in March.

 

[Planogirl]

I think people also assume that Florida gets a hurricane weekly during hurricane season and that it is hot and humid 365 days a year. When really--it is just two months that are "bad".

This year it has almost seemed like Florida gets one at least monthly. What a time it's been!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

This year it has almost seemed like Florida gets one at least monthly. What a time it's been!

There was a time when North Carolina got battered on a regular basis as well .

This is just our 2nd year of this.

And I think it is only our 3rd for the entire state...first for most of the state.

This is the only mapped history I could find for this year.

Hardly comparable to 2004.

 

[Soccer Princess]

Well, we have the occasional tornado, but that's about all I can think of here in KY. The weather isn't really too extreme one way or the other.

 

[WDWMom]

We live in West Michigan and Dh and I talk a lot about how safe we are from the elements. No hurricanes, no earthquakes, no flooding and because we are close to the lake no tornadoes. There is the occassional tornado in MI but I have never been within 50 miles of one that I know of. We do get the ocassional snowstorm, but we haven't had a good one in about 8 years. Our winters are mild during the first part of the season because the lake stays warm. We do get cold winds in Jan and Feb sometimes, but everything is indoors so other than going from car to a business, I'm not out for long. I don't even own snow gear excpet for boots because I hate for my feet to be cold.

 

[noseybuddy]

I think safe from weather conditions would probably be the area in which I live. The NE, such as Pennsylvania, NJ. I don't like it here, but I think the weather conditions are pretty good. Always wanted to move south but I have been rethinking that lately.

 

[ADisneygirl]

Well, I don't really know about the other places listed on this thread. All I can tell you is from my experience, Florida is a very dangerous place to live compared to New York. For me personally, crime is worse here. Lived all my life in New York, never a victim of crime. Four years after moving here my house was robbed and ransacked in the middle of the afternoon. We had to live in a hotel for a month waiting for repairs to be completed. I haven't felt safe here again since that.

Top that off with punishing summer thunderstorms that spawn local tornados, and of course the ever present twice a month hurricanes that criss cross our state wiping out homes and communities.

If I could, I'd move tomorrow back to the "high crime" city I'm from.


Edited to add: It only "seems like" hurricanes are criss crossing the state twice a month. I guess it is really my perception due to the news coverage of potential storms that may come here.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Disneygirl--there are no twice a month hurricanes that criss cross the state.

I've lived in Florida for 13 years and the only crime I was the victim of was a hit and run.

Perhaps Florida just isn't for you. But it is a great place to live!

 

[DawnCt1]

Actually, it's interesting that you bring this up, because soon after Katrina hit, there was a feature on msn.com about "The Safest Place to Live". It took into account all of the weather disasters you've mentioned as well as some other conditions, and by the end of their study, they decided....



....drumroll please.....


...that the area around Storrs, CT was the best place to live.

Try this instead - it's a list compiled by Forbes....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9131261/

I don't think that MSNBC considered UConn's Spring Weekend, when the students run amok, tipping over cars, setting furniture on fire and creating a generaly nuisance.

 

[CathrynRose]

Florida, the Gulf States, the Southeast Coastline and occasionally the northeastern seaboard are suseptible to hurricanes. New England is at risk for paralyzing snow storms. The states that are home to the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers are at risk for serious flooding, The entire east coast could be inundated up to 100 miles inland by a mega tsunami. The west coast will some day fall into the ocean when the "big one" along the San Andreas fault hits. Hawaii is gradually sinking into the Pacific while the Big Island is still growing. Yellowstone Park is a giant caldera that may someday be the site of a supervolcano. Then there is Mt. St Helen's in the northwest. Minnesota, North Dakota and Alaska are too cold. Where is there a safe place to live??

Chicago...

 

[disneysteve]

I haven't read the whole thread so excuse me if this is a repeat, but what about the inland mid-Atlantic area. I was born and raised in Philadelphia and now live in southern New Jersey (but not on the coast). We have 4 seasons. Summers can be hot but that's why they invented air conditioning. We occasionally get some heavy snow but that isn't generally dangerous. Flooding in our area is pretty rare and basically only affects those folks who live along rivers, which I don't. We did have one small tornado here about 2 years ago and it was big news since it is such an incredibly rare occurrence.

Overall, this area is pretty temperate and doesn't get any of the extremes or dangerous weather that other parts of the country are prone to get.