Just an observation. Driving towards Arkansas from either New England, or crossing the border in Michigan, coffee always seemed to get weaker and generally just less good the further south I went, with a few exceptions, of course.
Don't know how this became about tornadoes but here you go: https://www.ustornadoes.com/2016/04/06/annual-and-monthly-tornado-averages-across-the-united-states/
I was referring to the southern plains states. Texas and Oklahoma are generally considered Southern, Kansas generally Midwestern. Ok? Not disagreeing with any of that, I'm just pointing out that many of the places most heavily associated with tornadoes are Southern. But that's not to say that tornadoes are common across the entire South. Just the western half of it, including the recent shift toward Dixie alley. I'll agree with Fallow that more specificity is required. A full third or so of a country as massive as the US is too big to generalize. OP probably needs to hone in on a specific state, I think.
I regard Missouri as midwest, and there were definitely plenty of tornadoes there. For what it's worth.
Missouri is most definitely a Midwestern state and it is definitely in tornado country. But it has some "Southern Sensibilities". I think South when reading Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. St. Louis nightlife, food, and music can have you thinking you're in New Orleans. They succeeded from the Union during the Civil War and they have Confederate Flags and Monuments on display all over, as controversial as it is getting these days. It's not but feels South. I don't feel that way at all in Topeka, Kansas.
Secession actually failed there. The pro-secession governor created a sort of government in exile, though, and pro-CSA sentiment was super high. Lots of Confederate insurgents had Missouri ties. It's geographically Midwestern, but given the history and culture I'd call it Southern.
I lived there for half my childhood, and Tennessee for the other half, and I’d call Tennessee medium-Southern and Missouri firmly Midwestern with a drop or two of the South.
Anybody know Dolly Parton? I wonder if she would call Tennessee "medium" South. Or that accent of hers.
I've lived in multiple southern States and tornados were not a thing where I've been. Floods and hurricanes were. Except the Appalachian. I don't recall any major things other than snow existing and convincing me I absolutely hated it. A big city might be a good choice. Know a few defining features of the city and that might be enough. Pretty funny about the lobster roll. Saw one of those on the menu at a Panera. The one and only time in the South I saw it on a menu. Curious what on the border means.
@marshipan --By on the border I mean the US-Mexico border. Many of you have been very helpful. Thank you. Some of these little details are exactly what I was looking for. I don't really see the point in arguing over what's southern enough. I don't think something has to be completely exclusive to the south to be southern or ring true. I was looking for some flavor to add to my story via my setting choice. Again, thank you. Some of these suggestions I believe will make it into my stories.
Ah, well I'm in South East Texas. You'd want Mexican on that menu but I'm sure that's no surprise. I say pick a few features of an area and sprinkle that in. Anywhere on the border it's safe to say the heat is something else entirely to other places. There is a crazy amount of donut shops in Texas, the weather is a little wild. You could have the hot sun shining down, then hail the next moment. People talk about the weather a lot here and you would definitely hear Spanish.
When I tell people that when I lived in San Antonio we had a lot of Pecan trees in our yard they are always surprised.
There's also the question of regional barbecue--which is not any old thing cooked on a grill, but certain specific cuts of meat smoked forever. Certain regions use vinegar-based sauce and sneer at that sticky tomato muck. Some are the opposite. Some smoke brisket, some pork, some ribs. If your story is a few decades ago, practically every place will be filled with cigarette smoke. I don't know if there are fewer smokers now, but "non smoking" is no longer a funny joke where the smokers are five feet away from the non smokers.
Another detail: in parts of the South, parents are called Daddy and Mama forever—there isn’t the transition to Dad and Mom as the child gets older. A big tough forty year old man’s father is still likely to be “Daddy”.
I was just looking at a Dolly Parton retrospective and I don't believe she would divide the South in to Lite, Medium, or Strong. She would definitely just say Tenn. is in the South.
There are lots of interesting names for grandparents too. Nanna I heard the most. But I also heard Memaw, Gmaw, PaPa, and Nemaw.
