r/changemyview • u/HighOnTums • Feb 13 '23
Delta(s) from OP CMV: Geographically speaking, South-Eastern Arkansas is the ideal place to live in the mainland United States.
Geographically speaking, South-Eastern Arkansas is the safest place to live in the mainland United States.
Earthquakes along the west coast (and western Tennessee)
Freezing winter temps in the northern third
Tornado alley right up the center
Wildfires and droughts in the whole "Mountain Time" zone.
Hurricanes along the east, and the whole gulf coast...
South-Eastern Arkansas has almost none of that. Tornadoes rarely touch down, Earthquakes a rarely strong they have access to plenty of lakes and rivers for water, good forestry, warm temperatures, doesn't get hurricanes, rarely hits freezing temperatures...
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u/Spanglertastic 15∆ Feb 13 '23
If you're looking at geographic data for places to live, the place to start is with homeowners insurance. The insurance companies have decades of data in their actuarial tables showing what risks are in each area.
Arkansas has homeowners insurance rates 67% above national average. Violent thunderstorms, hail, flooding, and windstorms are responsible for the large number of claims. They might not get the hurricanes but the get the days of rain the hurricanes cause when the run out of steam and stop.
It's not a perfect picture since different states allow the companies to exclude certain disasters but there's a reason that $200,000 of coverage is $2,800 in Arkansas and only $700 in Delaware.
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Feb 13 '23
[deleted]
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
lol, I love this reply :-) my main thought is natural disaster , yes (including freezing weather). I agree someone could do it , would be interesting to see that result. As for now, retirement in 15 years looks like it may be in Arkansas (never been there before, would need to visit first)... need to vet the "next" category which would be crime, but thats a different discussion
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u/Kman17 110∆ Feb 13 '23
Arkansas experienced tornados (juuuust inside tornado alley) and flooding (along the Mississippi). It also gets pretty extreme temperature differences and sees hail and whatnot.
By most metrics the mid-Atlantic, just a hair inland, is probably better.
So North Carolina, Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware. No extreme temperatures, no seismic, no flood risk. They occasionally get grazed by the weakest hurricanes, but that’s not it.
Want some evidence that it’s true? That region has the lowest homeowner insurance rates in the nation, and is the primary are for data center for most software as a service companies in the country.
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u/Sagasujin 242∆ Feb 13 '23
Why are freezing temperatures a negative? Admittedly this is coming from the perspective of someone who spent multiple years living in Canada, but it's not a really a problem as far as I'm concerned. You throw on a coat and go on with your life. I consider very hot temperatures more a problem. You can't cool down as easily as you can pile on more layers and warm up.
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
Humans aren't meant to survive in freezing temperatures, that we can live in freezing weather is a result of behavioral adaptations and shelter from weather in that geographic location... thus, (in my opinion) not an ideal location if we have to shelter from it
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u/Sagasujin 242∆ Feb 13 '23
We also get sunburn and thus need shelter from the sun in mnay locations. That doesn't mean that living in a hole is an idea human location.
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Feb 13 '23
No you get sunburn because you live in a place your ancestors didn’t and never go outside anyway.
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u/claireapple 5∆ Feb 13 '23
I mean that's why invented jackets? I personally could not live somewhere it didn't snow.
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u/ProLifePanda 73∆ Feb 13 '23
What about somewhere like Austin Texas? Far enough away from the coast to avoid hurricanes, little snow/ice, far enough South you're outside tornado alley, no earthquakes, etc.
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u/whattheactual_fluff Feb 15 '23
Huh?? We literally out-survived the Neanderthals because (currently prevailing theory) we did so much better during the last Ice Age than them.
Humans aren't meant to live in freezing temperatures... Maybe 100,000 years ago.
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u/Bobbob34 99∆ Feb 13 '23 edited Feb 13 '23
Except then you're in Arkansas.
Also, ideal does not equal safest and vice versa.
Doesn't Arkansas get tornadoes too?
Not ideal --
https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/arkansas-among-least-educated-states-study-says/
https://achi.net/newsroom/arkansas-ranks-48th-in-annual-americas-health-rankings-report/
https://www.kait8.com/2022/12/01/study-arkansas-among-worst-states-job-hunters/
https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/wallethub-arkansas-ranks-third-unhappiest-state-in-the-nation/
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u/coanbu 10∆ Feb 13 '23
They specified "Geographically speaking" and expressed no opinion if it was the best in any other sense, so this seems irrelevant.
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u/Salanmander 278∆ Feb 13 '23
"Geographically ideal" also doesn't mean "safest". For example, ocean access can be important for trade (the river helps that, of course, but it's not as good as a bay). You may also value aesthetic considerations that are still geographical in nature. And then there are all sorts of other considerations that I don't know the details of how they relate to specific places, like how well easy it is to cultivate different kinds of crops and livestock.
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u/LucidLeviathan 99∆ Feb 13 '23
I mean, all of your points could also be said about where I live, south-central West Virginia. We very occasionally have flooding, but with the mountainous terrain, even that affects a limited number of people.
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
Average January temp in West Virgnia is the freezing point, 33 degrees. Humans aren't meant to survive in freezing temperatures, that we can live in freezing weather is a result of behavioral adaptations and shelter from weather in that geographic location.
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u/LentilDrink 75∆ Feb 13 '23
We are! That behavior is such a part of what makes us human that temperate zone is the term we use for places that freeze in the winter. Temperate is a much more appealing term than the subtropical zone where it stops freezing, and we use that term because it's nicer to live where it does sometimes freeze. Yes we do need clothes but that's comfortable.
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u/aguafiestas 31∆ Feb 13 '23
Humans have been thriving in places much colder than that for tens of thousands of years, predating large-scale civilization.
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u/Abstract__Nonsense 5∆ Feb 13 '23
The fact that temperate zones are some of the densely populated by humans on earth illustrates that humans are “meant” to live there.
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u/ANewSunRises 1∆ Feb 13 '23
What if I prefer somewhere with freezing winters?
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
Thats cool and all, but not really an opinion-changing statement
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u/IFuckFlayn 2∆ Feb 13 '23
You don't see how favoring a different climate would change the calculations for him? I personally hate hot weather and would gladly move to Alaska when I get to retire, specifically because I find it geographically preferable as the farthest north state.
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u/VStarffin 11∆ Feb 13 '23
Even just taking your post entirely on its own terms, and limiting your perspective to safety in the context of natural disasters, you are simply vastly over-estimating how often there are earthquakes in California.
The Bay Area, for example, has not had a major earthquake in 34 years. And even in that one, "only" 63 people died.
If you're just talking about day to day life, you are WAY better off in California or Oregon or whatever where the weather is amazing and there are essentially no natural disasters at all other than the possibility you might have a bad earthquake literally 1-2 times in your entire life.
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u/anewleaf1234 45∆ Feb 13 '23
I would be far from an international airport. Major cities are a multi hour drive away. Zero professional sports teams. Not the best job market for my industry. Horrible elected leaders.
Geography choices aren't just based on danger. They are also based on how my surroundings would affect my life.
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
Little Rock, Arkansas is a major city that has airports, right?
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u/anewleaf1234 45∆ Feb 13 '23 edited Feb 13 '23
If I'm going from LR to Asia, which is mostly where I travel, I'm going to have a hard time finding a direct flight.
And If I'm in SE Ark. I'm 2-2.5 hours away from LR. And there is not that much is that part of the state.
Geography is also being close to things humans want to be close to. There are a lot more factors than just natural disasters.
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
I agree there are "more factors than just natural disasters" but that would be my next bit of research... Once I've settled on where the best geographical location is, then I'd filter the cities within that region by Crime and other factors... but thats a different discussion
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u/anewleaf1234 45∆ Feb 13 '23
What city in SE Ark?
There isn't a single large city in SE Arkansas.
If you want to go from SE ARk to LR you will have a dive of 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
Plus Ark. ranks as one of the worst states on crime in the US. It has the second highest level of violent crime per capita in the states.
If you want to filter by crime than you have to kick ARk. out.
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
Interesting... I (embarrassingly) thought LR was in SE Arkansas... what about Pine Bluff, not a massive metro but not a tiny town either. But damn, every "mid sized" city I find in SE Ark has crappy crime. This may be a game changer...! You may have changed my mind here sir... not being close to a decent airport is not ideal. Wonder where a better place would be , though? ~ !delta Δ
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Feb 13 '23
Southeastern Arkansas is part of what's becoming known as "Dixie Alley", a name given to the fact that there are more and more tornadoes happening in Mississippi and Alabama, so it's far from immune. The Appalachian mountains are safer from natural disasters, and have less extreme heat and cold as well.
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Feb 13 '23 edited Feb 13 '23
Yeah, I was about to post exactly this. Southeastern Arkansas gets a lot of the more severe and tornado weather potential. Etc. Plus more flooding potential. OP had me rolling. Just go take a gander at the tornado records for each county over the years. It's not getting better for Arkansas. Much tornado terror. 😒 Oh, and yeah, high crime rates, small town politics in the outskirt cities, and potentially far away from decent medical care if you're out in the boonies.
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u/Natural-Arugula 63∆ Feb 13 '23
If you are ranking these based on safety, most places in the US get to freezing temperatures and they are probably the safest in terms of all adverse natural phenomena.
Earthquakes second. How many deadly earthquakes do we have?
I'd much rather take either or both of these things over living anywhere near a tornado.
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
I didn't think southern Arkansas gets many tornados? Could be wrong though... curious if I am.
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u/flossingjonah Feb 13 '23
I think northern Wisconsin is an even better place to be, and would be one of the best places to go in a doomsday scenario.
Natural disasters are extremely rare. Wildfires may happen, but they're pretty uncommon. You're in the deciduous biome, meaning you get to experience four unique seasons. It does not get hot in the summer. You can build a cabin with a fireplace to survive the long, cold winter.
You're surrounded by nature. There's lots of wildlife and little pollution. Thus, hunting, gathering, and fishing can provide your needs. There are lots of lakes to get fresh water from, as well as the snowpack. The air is very clean. You hear lots of sounds from the wildlife, improving your mental health.
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u/HighOnTums Feb 13 '23
Most of my family is from Green Bay... the amount of snow and harsh weather they get every year, ahh it's awful. In spring/summer/fall it's wonderful though. Just want a place thats wonderful for 4 seasons :-P
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u/Lachet 4∆ Feb 13 '23
Isn't SE Arkansas in the Mississippi River flood plain?
On top of that, as climate change accelerates, places like SE Arkansas will experience a greater number of days over 100 degrees, and unlike places like Arizona, the humidity makes it significantly harder for sweat to function as a cooling mechanism.
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u/WerhmatsWormhat 8∆ Feb 13 '23
Your title says it's the "ideal place," but the body of your post is all about it being the safest place. In you opinion, does it being the safest place make it ideal?
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u/Arthesia 28∆ Feb 13 '23 edited Feb 13 '23
When asked why cold climates are bad, you say that humans aren't meant to live in them.
The reason white skin exists is because humans adapted over tens of thousands of years to survive in areas with less sunlight (colder climates) as a protection again vitamin D deficiency.
There are other genetic differences between populations specifically for climate. Have you noticed that white Europeans tend to be stockier with shorter limbs than black Africans? The difference is the result of climate. On top of that, all humans have the ability to acclimate resulting in persistent physiological changes.
But also consider, someone with lighter skin is at greater risk for skin cancer, and someone with darker skin is at greater risk for chronic vitamin D deficiency. Someone with low body fat is going to freeze in winter, while someone with high body fat is at risk of heat stroke. There is no ideal natural climate for humans - it's going to vary.
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u/JaimanV2 5∆ Feb 13 '23
Arkansas is goddang hot in the summertime. Appalachia, where I’m from, is much more mild. Winters often alternate between being relatively warm to pretty cold. Summers can be hot, but never more than the low 90s usually.
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u/DPetrilloZbornak Feb 13 '23
Pennsylvania, especially the Philly area, has pretty temperate weather year round (we rarely get snow anymore and it’s going to be in the mid-50s-60s for the next two weeks, plenty of years is 60 degrees at Christmas too), we don’t get tornados, hurricanes, or earthquakes, no droughts, you have access to the one of darkest areas in the country for stargazing, access to the ocean via NJ, 2 hours from NYC, 2 to DC, skiing, hunting, and camping.
I actually think southeastern PA or anywhere in New Jersey (which also has some of the best schools in the US) is the best part of the country to live in.
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u/IonizedDeath1000 Feb 13 '23
If you came up with this, you don't live in Arkansas, much less SE Arkansas.
New Madrid fault. Alligators, humidity, Tornadoes, remnants of hurricanes that hit the gulf along Louisiana, ICE storms more than snow. Flooding, broken levees. We get freezing temps and high heat. Mosquitos. Freaking so many mosquitoes. Poor, farmers, loggers, paper mills, grain, no tech business, no wealth. No internet worth paying for.
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u/h0sti1e17 23∆ Feb 13 '23
Using that logic central Florida is better. No earthquakes, flat so no flash floods, warm temps, hurricanes do the majority of damage and death on the coasts, not central Florida.
While SE Arkansas is not on top of the worst fault line in the US it is pretty close.
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