10 reasons why so many people are moving to Texas

[kentauros]

67. As I learned from reading many of the threads after the Moore, OK disaster,

far too many people have no idea about the geology and soil make-up of the continent. And they have no inclination to look it up because of the assumption that "we have basements here, so why can't they build them there" type of "observation."

I don't presume to know the geology and soil of Michigan, though I can safely assume that it's conducive to the building of basements. As such, that fact becomes ingrained in people's minds that basements are the norm everywhere, and thus, no need to look up the geology and soil content.

I'm no expert, just have a strong interest in knowing things like terrain (it's part of my work in mapping, though.) In general, you don't build basements near a water-body due to the usually higher water-table. Here, the water-table goes pretty far inland because most of the southern coasts consist of clay, silt, and sand. You won't begin to get to the bedrock until you're many tens of miles inland. And in Texas, you quickly have the inland problem of limestone and granite at the surface, so no basements there, either