Lakeville Minnesota - Tornadoes? How's The City? (Red Wing, Ely: homes, schools)

[glowlightfun]

Originally Posted by Rhody2Mn

I would respectfully disagree with this, but of course it is largely subjective and depends on what you’re looking for in a place to live. Although there are houses like you describe, there are also many new developments and residences that do not fit this criteria.

OP, I would encourage you to visit not only Lakeville but the Twin Cities area in general so you can determine what works best for you. For example, are you looking for more of an urban, suburban, or rural environment? Will a commute be a factor? The more information you can provide the more helpful we can be.

Thank you for your input! We work from home so a commute is not an issue but I still like being 30-45 minutes away from the main city/airport etc.



We are looking for suburban but with a little space, not houses 2 inches apart but don't need a 2 acre lot either. Don't want too rural, but don't want a tiny lot either.

[jennifat]

Originally Posted by Rhody2Mn

I would respectfully disagree with this, but of course it is largely subjective and depends on what you’re looking for in a place to live. Although there are houses like you describe, there are also many new developments and residences that do not fit this criteria.

What specifically are you disagreeing with? The vast majority of Lakeville (80-90% of it) is exactly as I described. Nondescript 90s suburbia.

[TimtheGuy]

Originally Posted by jennifat

What specifically are you disagreeing with? The vast majority of Lakeville (80-90% of it) is exactly as I described. Nondescript 90s suburbia.

Oh, B.S. They have been building A TON of new homes in Lakeville in the last 20 years. It has been and still is one of the fastest growing areas in the metro.

1960 924
1970 7,556
1980 14,790
1990 24,854
2000 43,128
2010 55,954
2020 69,490
2022 74,553 (est.)

Probably about half the homes in Lakeville were built in the 2000s.

There are plenty of homes in Lakeville worth $1mil.+

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by glowlightfun

Thank you for your thoughts! I think it's just because we've never lived in a state that even had a tornado or tornado sirens and sometimes when you look stuff up, you see the extremes and it's hard to know what to expect etc.



What you said, being from someone that has lived there helps so much and definitely puts it into perspective. I did kind of picture many tornadoes each year huddled in a basement hoping the rook doesn't blow off but that sounds like it's not the reality there thank goodness!

Every state has had a tornado.

The ones you are worried about are big ones.

Those are vastly more likely in obvious places like Oklahoma, Kansas, NOrth Texas and are almost impossible in some other states.

Northern MN is at the lower end of that risk.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by scatteredthunder

I was looking up data for Des Moines, where I'm from, and found a site showing all recent tornadoes here. Turns out the same exists for MN.
https://data.sctimes.com/tornado-archive/

Looking at that, it could be kind of intimidating. Tornadoes have certainly caused a lot of property damage. In my experience (roughly 35 years in IA), I've never been personally impacted. I've been within about 10 miles of noticeable damage once (a bunch of trees down) and within say 50 miles at least a couple of times (the most recent of which did result in a few deaths and considerable property damage). But generally I don't get that worried about them. As someone else mentioned, you usually get ample warning.

I find some of the other natural disasters to be much more intimidating, maybe because they impact such big areas. A tornado travels a relatively narrow path.

Iowa is wayyy higher risk than northern MN for strong Tornados but again, that's still low in the big scheme of things.

100% nailed it in your last 2 sentences.

I work with this stuff professionally I'm familiar with the NOAA weather database that goes back decades so just an fyi to those reading this.

[scatteredthunder]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

Iowa is wayyy higher risk than northern MN for strong Tornados but again, that's still low in the big scheme of things.

You keep saying northern MN, but Lakeville isn't considered northern, is it?

[Rhody2Mn]

Originally Posted by TimtheGuy

Oh, B.S. They have been building A TON of new homes in Lakeville in the last 20 years. It has been and still is one of the fastest growing areas in the metro.

1960 924
1970 7,556
1980 14,790
1990 24,854
2000 43,128
2010 55,954
2020 69,490
2022 74,553 (est.)

Probably about half the homes in Lakeville were built in the 2000s.

There are plenty of homes in Lakeville worth $1mil.+

^^This.

[Camden Northsider]

Originally Posted by jennifat

The last time the Twin Cities metro area had wide-scale devastation and numerous fatalities due to a tornado outbreak was in 1965 (60 years ago), if that helps put things into perspective for you.

Not disagreeing with any of your main points, but despite the lack of 'numerous fatalities,' there definitely has been wide-scale devastation in more recent years-- you can still see the path of the 2011 tornado through North Minneapolis in satellite imagery. But agreed that tornadoes are a fairly infrequent occurrence, tornadoes that cause significant destruction even more infrequent, and it's generally pretty easy to anticipate the potential (and/or reality) of tornadoes if you stay tuned into the weather.

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by Rhody2Mn

^^This.

They added another high school since my buddy graduated in 98.

To OP, we have basements in our homes for the few said tornados. The 2011 North Mpls one was an oddity while seeing the damage first hand driving Lowry west to east. I remember as a kid watching Kare11 live filming one in Golden Valley maybe from their helicopter.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by scatteredthunder

You keep saying northern MN, but Lakeville isn't considered northern, is it?

In the models I look at, yeah but those are based on risk not miles north and south.

I'll refrain from using that and instead just say Zone 2.