Thinking of moving to the North Coast? Read this first! (San Francisco: crime, motel)

[danaruns]

So, okay, my spouse and I were just in the Eureka area for a portion of our honeymoon (we are driving around the state freestyle, and went to Eureka to escape the summer heat wave for a couple days), and we fell in love with a 40 acre farm just outside Ferndale, nestled up against the hills south of the river. So, questions:

1. Google doesn't tell me much about flooding risk in the area. Is there any source of info on that, so we can assess what the risk is for a particular parcel or the area in general?

2. We are two gay women, and it's a pretty liberal area, but what kind of reception are we in for?

3. Is there some better place in the greater Eureka region (say, within 1 hour of Eureka) we might look to for a small farm, which is out of the fog but not so far back that it's completely devoid of the coastal influence?

4. I'm in good health, but I'm getting older. Do I really need to be concerned about the availability and quality of healthcare in Eureka?

Thanks.

[heartfocus]

Originally Posted by danaruns

4. I'm in good health, but I'm getting older. Do I really need to be concerned about the availability and quality of healthcare in Eureka?

Thanks.

Yes, you do need to be concerned if you are on Medicare. Unless you don't mind driving to Redding for a lot of stuff.

[cephalopede]

Originally Posted by danaruns

2. We are two gay women, and it's a pretty liberal area, but what kind of reception are we in for?

I know someone who works on his family's dairy farm out there, and he told a story about how one of their old cowboy neighbors stopped to chat with him, and eventually asked when he was going to settle down and get married, since it's legal now. There are jerks everywhere, but it's probably one of the more liberal rural communities you'll find, from what I've heard.

[EclecticEars]

Outstanding, DCMann2! Outstanding work.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by danaruns

40 acre farm just outside Ferndale, nestled up against the hills Google doesn't tell me much about flooding risk in the area. Is there any source of info on that, so we can assess what the risk is for a particular parcel or the area in general?

Humboldt County Tsunami Inundation Maps

[notmeofficer]

DCmann2.. excellent post about the mostly positive aspects of the beautiful north coast...

I would add however the negative.. that being the wholesale growing of marijuana negatively (if one considers drug money profits negative) affecting all the communities there.. its becoming more common to identify who ISNT growing dope than who is... what a sad state of affairs and the ruination of the natural beauty

Again.. and not to hijack your well written post... thanks

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by notmeofficer

DCmann2.. excellent post about the mostly positive aspects of the beautiful north coast...

I would add however the negative..

Of course you would.

[DCMann2]

Originally Posted by danaruns

So, okay, my spouse and I were just in the Eureka area for a portion of our honeymoon (we are driving around the state freestyle, and went to Eureka to escape the summer heat wave for a couple days), and we fell in love with a 40 acre farm just outside Ferndale, nestled up against the hills south of the river. So, questions:

1. Google doesn't tell me much about flooding risk in the area. Is there any source of info on that, so we can assess what the risk is for a particular parcel or the area in general?

2. We are two gay women, and it's a pretty liberal area, but what kind of reception are we in for?

3. Is there some better place in the greater Eureka region (say, within 1 hour of Eureka) we might look to for a small farm, which is out of the fog but not so far back that it's completely devoid of the coastal influence?

4. I'm in good health, but I'm getting older. Do I really need to be concerned about the availability and quality of healthcare in Eureka?

Thanks.

1. Ferndale lies in the Eel River floodplain; it's flooded before and will likely flood again at some point. The city also sits in a tsunami zone and I believe someone posted a map showing inundation areas above. That said, don't let that scare you off from living there. The 1964 flood was one of those once in a century type events and if I remember correctly the largest earthquake our local plate can generate is a 9.0, which is big but not devastating, and honestly Crescent City has a higher tsunami risk factor than we do here in Humboldt. Ferndale is an awesome place and I know that if I could get a 40 acre farm out there I'd go for it

2. Anywhere along the coast is quite accepting of alternative lifestyles so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Even in "good ol' boy" Ferndale people are very warm and accepting despite its farming/rural culture.

3. This I'm not too sure about, but Carlotta is quite nice and outside the fog belt, but once you're any reasonable distance (say, 15-20 miles) the climate is going to be much drier and hotter.

4. In a word, yes. Healthcare in the county is okay but not great, and just about anything major will have to be taken care of in Redding or the Bay Area. The farther you live from major areas the harder it's going to be to find good healthcare.

Originally Posted by notmeofficer

DCmann2.. excellent post about the mostly positive aspects of the beautiful north coast...

I would add however the negative.. that being the wholesale growing of marijuana negatively (if one considers drug money profits negative) affecting all the communities there.. its becoming more common to identify who ISNT growing dope than who is... what a sad state of affairs and the ruination of the natural beauty

Again.. and not to hijack your well written post... thanks

I think I addressed that marijuana and meth are problems in the county in my original post (and yes they are real and serious problems), but I also said that if you stay away from sketchy people and sketchy areas you'll be fine. We've been living here for 9 months now and have never had a problem.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by DCMann2

the largest earthquake our local plate can generate is a 9.0, which is big but not devastating

Whoa. A magnitude of 9.0 is generally referred to as "The Big One" that Californians fear. Quakes of that size are so rare that there has only been 6 of them since 1900 in the world.

Megathrust earthquake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[heartfocus]

The suicide rate is over 26% in Humboldt county.