If we could move today . . . but - wind? (Bismarck, Grand Forks: home owners insurance, house)

[Fanciesmom]

My joke has always been that I don't mind slipping a zipcode (earthquake) but I sure don't want to come home to find my house where it doesn't belong!

When I was managing the marina we'd get winds around 35 with gust around 60 on occasion. Winds over 35 meant getting out of bed and walking all the docks to make sure the boats were ok. Scary business some times.

So now the question - tornadoes????? Are they frequent? Do they hit Medina? Can you get insurance?

Also while managing the marina I got really good at filling and stacking sandbags - will this be a necessary skill???? Is there flood insurance? Or is their any flood danger in Medina?

I don't mind weather; normal wind, snow, rain don't bother. I enjoy big thunder boomer storms, hate days and days of 100+ degree heat so is weather back there going to bother????

We're getting so excited about the move and wish we could move sooner than later - but it'll be a while.

[TravisW]

I wouldn't worry too much about tornadoes. We have some every year, but not many ever hit anything. It's certainly not like OK or KS. As far as flooding, it isn't near any major rivers (which are normally the source for catastrophic flooding).

Your primary weather gripe is most likely to be winter cold, and all I can say about that is that you learn how to exist safely in it. Your body adapts a bit, and it's pretty much one of those things you either don't mind or really hate. The dry air and wind go hand-in-hand with the cold, so that's a big part of the adapting.

[Fanciesmom]

Thanks for the info. I feel better now. Whew!

I can tolerate cold pretty well. I ran around in Ohio in Feb. in jeans, tee shirt, and fuzzy lined crocs. Only 1 day I had to wear a jacket.

[Corbay]

I ran around in Ohio in Feb. in jeans, tee shirt, and fuzzy lined crocs. Only 1 day I had to wear a jacket.

Sorry, but this isn't Ohio.

[Fanciesmom]

There's nothing to be sorry about. I didn't explain clearly enough that I adore cold cold weather. Northern Ohio & lake effect snow may not be North Dakota - but even that beats the daylights out of the fact that it's 98 in the shade now and we're still hours from the hottest part of the day. Freezing cold dry air and snow are just what we're looking for.

None of the 4 of us that are making the move are "California dreamers" just looking to try living in the boonies. It is our dream to to move there and live where there are 4 seasons, where all the farmland hasn't been paved for flippin' "McMansions" (so people can whine about the smell of cow poop from the diary farm down the road from their 1/2 a million dollar home), and where we can live a clean wholesome life. 2 of us are breast cancer survivors and want to live somewhere where we don't have to breath air we can see (not talking about frosty breath or fog here), eat food contaminated with all manner of crap. We're all healthy - the land is paid for, and we don't intend to be whiney butt leeches.

[DaninEGF]

Hi

I am a weather forecaster out of Grand Forks.... Tornadoes in this part of the country while they can occur are infrequent and certainly nothing I would worry about. Regulary home owners insurance does cover loss due to natural disasters such as these. Medina is not in flood territory due to no rivers nearby. Of course you can have heavy rain producing thunderstorms dump on you on rare occasions and that can cause localized flooding for a brief time but again nothing that I would worry about. Just make sure to have all your drain spots extend away from the foundation of the home.

There actually was a tornado 3 miles N of Medina back on August 11 2002...see this link (page 2). http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/bis/sd2002/August.pdf

Your biggest concerns would be winter travel related as Medina is a fair distance from a larger city such as Jamestown for which you will need to travel to for some shopping/food. You will probably want to stock up on non perishable items before storms hit so you dont have to travel a lot. I-94 being a interstate is plowed often, but often winds blow from north to south in blizzards and that can make an east-west road such as I-94 prone to blockage from drifts, etc. Also there isnt much west of Jamestown on to Bismarck so they do close I-94 a few times a winter (on average) due to visibility.

There is a weather station located along I-94 near Medina and you can use this link to look at temp/wind/etc. It is an automated site put in by the ND DOT to monitor road conditions, temps of pavement, etc.

I will give you the link via weatherunderground...

Weather Station History : Weather Underground


These are average temps & pcpn over history from Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN ST HOSPITAL, NORTH DAKOTA Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary


Dan

[Fanciesmom]

Thank you so much for your very informative answer! Absolutely perfect information.

Both of our households boast well stocked larders - and I can walk to a grocery now. I think we could eat well from the freezers and pantry now for a few weeks, maybe longer.

Thank you for the links I'm off to check them out now!

[DaninEGF]

Hi again

This might be of interest...from the town of Medina website.... (you probably seen it but just in case). I dont know if you are set on Medina or just some town in the area...but that area west of Jamestown is all about the same rolling hills/prairie/lots of farms and typical small town North Dakota.

From my travels around the eastern part of ND in my line of work doing weather talks...people are very easy to strike up a conversation on weather and just life in general. Most people in that part of the state had ancestors that were Germans from Russia.


City of Medina, North Dakota - Community Events

http://www.medinand.com/pdf/flyer3.pdf

http://www.medinand.com/business.htm#


Good luck with where ever you move. I think you will find the rural folks here very accepting of those who work hard.

[Fanciesmom]

Thank you so very much. I had found those websites, but thank you for refreshing my memory about where. I try to spend an hour or so every day researching this move.

The farm that our friends own is about 5 miles outside of Medina so that's how we picked the location. We were at their place for dinner last night and watched videos that they took of the farm and the surrounding area. All I can say is WOW! He has family in the area - they've been farming there for many many years. They're hoping to move next Spring and we'll make the big one in 18 months or so - DH wants to have his full retirement (and hopefully a slightly recovered 401k) before we move.

Again I want to thank you for your kindness in pointing me in useful directions. Thanks again
Sharon