Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
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Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
My brother and I have been discussing long range planning for a land purchase in the US where we can eventually build a home for one or both of us - a factor that concerns us is weather and expected future climate impacts....timeframe over the next few decades.
We have been narrowing down a list seeking locations not known for:
wild fires
earthquakes
land slides
tornadoes
floods
hurricanes
extreme heat
extreme cold
So far, we keep coming back to the area of the US once considered the rust belt and parts of the middle south that would be considered inland ....although it seems there have been more floods in certain areas as of late and extreme cold is up for debate - since we have been eliminating areas with lake effect snowfalls and higher elevations...
Of course there are other considerations - cost, taxation, amenities, etc....but our starting point for discussion has been weather factors.
Have any of you considered relocating due to predicted emerging weather patterns? do you have any new areas picked out?
We have been narrowing down a list seeking locations not known for:
wild fires
earthquakes
land slides
tornadoes
floods
hurricanes
extreme heat
extreme cold
So far, we keep coming back to the area of the US once considered the rust belt and parts of the middle south that would be considered inland ....although it seems there have been more floods in certain areas as of late and extreme cold is up for debate - since we have been eliminating areas with lake effect snowfalls and higher elevations...
Of course there are other considerations - cost, taxation, amenities, etc....but our starting point for discussion has been weather factors.
Have any of you considered relocating due to predicted emerging weather patterns? do you have any new areas picked out?
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
I would suggest the Midwest based on your criteria, which could include the rust belt or northern parts of the middle south depending on what your map looks like.
Wildfires: no, too many row crops and/or too much rain.
Earthquakes: rare and mostly minor though the New Madrid fault has a low chance of another big one this century (<10%).
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquak ... ismic-zone
Landslides: no, mostly too flat but gets hilly in southern IL/IN/KY.
Tornadoes: yes but rare and impact a very low % of the landscape. Have a basement or storm shelter just in case. Derecho would be more of a concern as they cause more widespread wind damage (usually less severe).
Floods: yes however this is by far the easiest factor to mitigate by building on high ground. Avoid low lying areas like near creeks and streams. Have a sump pump and backup if you have a basement.
Hurricanes: no. Remnants can provide flooding or beneficial rain, worse farther south.
Heat/cold: yes but as long as you have good insulation and a furnace/AC this shouldn't be a problem.
[Climate change discussion removed by admin LadyGeek]
Wildfires: no, too many row crops and/or too much rain.
Earthquakes: rare and mostly minor though the New Madrid fault has a low chance of another big one this century (<10%).
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquak ... ismic-zone
Landslides: no, mostly too flat but gets hilly in southern IL/IN/KY.
Tornadoes: yes but rare and impact a very low % of the landscape. Have a basement or storm shelter just in case. Derecho would be more of a concern as they cause more widespread wind damage (usually less severe).
Floods: yes however this is by far the easiest factor to mitigate by building on high ground. Avoid low lying areas like near creeks and streams. Have a sump pump and backup if you have a basement.
Hurricanes: no. Remnants can provide flooding or beneficial rain, worse farther south.
Heat/cold: yes but as long as you have good insulation and a furnace/AC this shouldn't be a problem.
[Climate change discussion removed by admin LadyGeek]
Last edited by Seal the Deal on Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
I would not consider moving hoping the weather would be better.MrWasabi65 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:19 pm
Have any of you considered relocating due to predicted emerging weather patterns? do you have any new areas picked out?
Retired 2019. So far, so good. I want to wake up every morning. But I want to die in my sleep. Just another conundrum. I think the solution might be afternoon naps ;)
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Google FEMA National Risk Index. This is a great website that provides general risk levels and specific risk levels (hurricane, flood, earthquake, wild fires, etc.) for every county in every state of the United States. There are very clear patterns and the graphics are most helpful.
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
It might be impossible to find a region that will be predicted to be an island of climate stability a few decades from now if one were to exist. Maybe try to avoid the regions that are likely to be/or are experiencing the worst of it.
I'm in new england and while the impact is present, it hasn't been as bad. However, I'm not considering a move because my family roots are here and even if that weren't the case and were in your shoes, I would be resigned to assume all areas will be significantly impacted a few decades out.
Maybe build a house that could be more resilient (?).
I'm in new england and while the impact is present, it hasn't been as bad. However, I'm not considering a move because my family roots are here and even if that weren't the case and were in your shoes, I would be resigned to assume all areas will be significantly impacted a few decades out.
Maybe build a house that could be more resilient (?).
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
You can widen your search area by building houses that are resistant to such things as wild fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and extreme temperatures. I'm thinking about monolithic concrete dome homes.MrWasabi65 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:19 pm wild fires
earthquakes
land slides
tornadoes
floods
hurricanes
extreme heat
extreme cold
https://www.monolithic.org/homes
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Maybe a camper van???
Retired 2019. So far, so good. I want to wake up every morning. But I want to die in my sleep. Just another conundrum. I think the solution might be afternoon naps ;)
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
I like that the FEMA Index lists Hennepin County (Minneapolis) as having a Higher Risk of Cold Waves. Only the Gov. would warn people that Minnesota might get cold in the winter.
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
As long as your home is decently above sea level (at the level of the highest storm surges) New England should be one of the best placed areas. In essence, the mid Atlantic climate zone should move northwards. Not great for maple syrup, but, overall, warmer winters & hotter summers.Coltrane75 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:21 am It might be impossible to find a region that will be predicted to be an island of climate stability a few decades from now if one were to exist. Maybe try to avoid the regions that are likely to be/or are experiencing the worst of it.
I'm in new england and while the impact is present, it hasn't been as bad. However, I'm not considering a move because my family roots are here and even if that weren't the case and were in your shoes, I would be resigned to assume all areas will be significantly impacted a few decades out.
Maybe build a house that could be more resilient (?).
There will be more wildfires - in places that have not hitherto faced them.
Upper Great Lakes would be another area that would seem to benefit - although I do wonder about drought.
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
There is cold... and there is cold. The Polar Vortex of recent years (Polar Vortices?). Longer and deeper periods of cold, even there, will have impacts.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
The problem with living in the North is the days get short in the winter.
Retired 2019. So far, so good. I want to wake up every morning. But I want to die in my sleep. Just another conundrum. I think the solution might be afternoon naps ;)
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
You can strike some of the things off your list because they are not a regional risk and can be avoided by doing things like selecting land that is not in a flood zone.MrWasabi65 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:19 pm We have been narrowing down a list seeking locations not known for:
wild fires
earthquakes
land slides
tornadoes
floods
hurricanes
extreme heat
extreme cold
It would also be good to add finding a location that has good emergency medical care to your list. In some small town traveling a couple of hours to see a specialist may be inconvenient but being a long way from a good emergency room can be a big problem when you need one.
Moving to a state with lower risks may also not make a lot of sense if you have a lot of lifestyle risks like smoking, bad diet, and not enough exercise that would have a bigger impact on you than where you live.
Tornadoes can be devastating when they hit and get a lot of press because they make spectacular photos for the news but realistically your chance of dying by something like slipping on snow or ice in a once a year snow storm in a mild climate is a lot higher. No house will withstand a direct hit from a tornado but poorly build houses or mobile homes are more risky in a tornado prone area especially if they are next to large trees which can fall on your house. As long as you have a well built house and home insurance then I would not be too worried about tornadoes even though you should be aware of them and have a safe room or basement.
Two things you might also want to add to your list is to avoid states with high rates of car accident fatalities and gun deaths since they vary a lot and have a lot higher impact than things like tornado deaths.
Firearm deaths by state.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosm ... irearm.htm
Car accident fatalities.
https://www.valuepenguin.com/car-accident-statistics
I am not sure what you consider the middle south but there may be more earthquake risk in places like Memphis than you realize. I am in Atlanta where there is some earthquake risk but earthquake insurance is cheap here so I have it.
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquak ... azard-maps
Last edited by Watty on Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Most of Appalachia or the Ozark areas would qualify.
As for tornadoes, you could live in an intensive tornado area for ten lifetimes and never see one. I wouldn’t let that influence your criteria. That being said, they are intensively local phenomenon. To an outsider, whole states might look like tornado risk areas. When in reality it tends to be very narrow areas that see them time and again while other areas virtually never see them.
As for tornadoes, you could live in an intensive tornado area for ten lifetimes and never see one. I wouldn’t let that influence your criteria. That being said, they are intensively local phenomenon. To an outsider, whole states might look like tornado risk areas. When in reality it tends to be very narrow areas that see them time and again while other areas virtually never see them.
“Conventional Treasury rates are risk free only in the sense that they guarantee nominal principal. But their real rate of return is uncertain until after the fact.” -Risk Less and Prosper
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Firearms deaths by states is pretty silly since you can virtually opt out of any meaningful increased risk. It has little to nothing to do with being inside a states borders.Watty wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:46 am
Firearm deaths by state.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosm ... irearm.htm
“Conventional Treasury rates are risk free only in the sense that they guarantee nominal principal. But their real rate of return is uncertain until after the fact.” -Risk Less and Prosper
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
“Conventional Treasury rates are risk free only in the sense that they guarantee nominal principal. But their real rate of return is uncertain until after the fact.” -Risk Less and Prosper
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
For that matter, it’s easier to opt out of things like smoking and bad diet than wildfire risks. And car accident fatalities are going to be much more influenced by the type of driver you are than what state you are in.Watty wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:46 am
Moving to a state with lower risks may also not make a lot of sense if you have a lot of lifestyle risks like smoking, bad diet, and not enough exercise that would have a bigger impact on you than where you live.
Two things you might also want to add to your list is to avoid states with high rates of car accident fatalities and gun deaths since they vary a lot and have a lot higher impact than things like tornado deaths.
As for medical care, this perplexes me. Do people think only coastal states have doctors and hospitals?
“Conventional Treasury rates are risk free only in the sense that they guarantee nominal principal. But their real rate of return is uncertain until after the fact.” -Risk Less and Prosper
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Ditto, and yes, this is absolutely a thing.ScubaHogg wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 9:54 amFor that matter, it’s easier to opt out of things like smoking and bad diet than wildfire risks. And car accident fatalities are going to be much more influenced by the type of driver you are than what state you are in.Watty wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:46 am
Moving to a state with lower risks may also not make a lot of sense if you have a lot of lifestyle risks like smoking, bad diet, and not enough exercise that would have a bigger impact on you than where you live.
Two things you might also want to add to your list is to avoid states with high rates of car accident fatalities and gun deaths since they vary a lot and have a lot higher impact than things like tornado deaths.
As for medical care, this perplexes me. Do people think only coastal states have doctors and hospitals?
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
I've lived in the midwest most of my life and the fear of tornados always surprises me. I would put the risk of tornado's about 487th on my list of things to consider when selecting a state.
And to answer your questions "Have any of you considered relocating due to predicted emerging weather patterns". Not really. It will make me think twice about moving to some places in the SW because of water but outside of that no. I'm probably less than 35 years from dying. In the next 35 years, Minnesota winters will still be frigid, there will still be flooding all over the country, there will still be droughts all over the country, humidity will still be an issue for a large portion of the U.S., etc
And to answer your questions "Have any of you considered relocating due to predicted emerging weather patterns". Not really. It will make me think twice about moving to some places in the SW because of water but outside of that no. I'm probably less than 35 years from dying. In the next 35 years, Minnesota winters will still be frigid, there will still be flooding all over the country, there will still be droughts all over the country, humidity will still be an issue for a large portion of the U.S., etc
Last edited by dsmclone on Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Any midsize to large city should have adequate medical care but when you are out in a rural area, even in a coastal state, it can be a long way to a decent emergency room.
I know someone who retired on the Oregon coast and after a couple of years they realized that was not going to work well as they aged. They had general practice doctors and even a very small hospital with a limited emergency room in a nearby small town but for anything requiring a specialist they had to travel a couple of hours to a larger city. They ended up moving in part because of the lack of medical care that was available there.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
And yet people live their entire lives in rural areas all the time without it being a disaster. I personally wouldn’t let the possibility of getting sick drive my location. If you want to live in a rural area I say live there. Indeed, things like improved air quality over decades compared to a big city might more than offset the net health care effects.Watty wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:31 amAny midsize to large city should have adequate medical care but when you are out in a rural area, even in a coastal state, it can be a long way to a decent emergency room.
I know someone who retired on the Oregon coast and after a couple of years they realized that was not going to work well as they aged. They had general practice doctors and even a very small hospital with a limited emergency room in a nearby small town but for anything requiring a specialist they had to travel a couple of hours to a larger city. They ended up moving in part because of the lack of medical care that was available there.
“Conventional Treasury rates are risk free only in the sense that they guarantee nominal principal. But their real rate of return is uncertain until after the fact.” -Risk Less and Prosper
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Well said. Why people would make such decisions over the possibility of averages temperatures changing a few degrees over the next few decades is baffling to me. The annual “noise” in the local weather will always overwhelm any changes in the averagedsmclone wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:19 am I'm probably less than 35 years from dying. In the next 35 years, Minnesota winters will still be frigid, there will still be flooding all over the country, there will still be droughts all over the country, humidity will still be an issue for a large portion of the U.S., etc
“Conventional Treasury rates are risk free only in the sense that they guarantee nominal principal. But their real rate of return is uncertain until after the fact.” -Risk Less and Prosper
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
It's worth noting that London, England is at 51 degrees N. Edinburgh, Scotland is 55 degrees I think? Calgary AB is 49 degrees -- so that is north of any major city in the USA but still south of England.
New York City is on the same latitude as Madrid. Toronto ONT is on the same latitude as Aix-en-Provence in southern France.
So living at northern latitudes is not at all unfamiliar - many millions of people do. Most of the Lower 48 States, even the "northern" ones, are actually surprisingly far south.
It makes for longer winter nights, for sure.
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Sea level. That's the one which is coming faster than was expected.ScubaHogg wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:40 amWell said. Why people would make such decisions over the possibility of averages temperatures changing a few degrees over the next few decades is baffling to me. The annual “noise” in the local weather will always overwhelm any changes in the averagedsmclone wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:19 am I'm probably less than 35 years from dying. In the next 35 years, Minnesota winters will still be frigid, there will still be flooding all over the country, there will still be droughts all over the country, humidity will still be an issue for a large portion of the U.S., etc
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
The Cleveland area checks most of the boxes. There are no problems with water shortages, and the health care is world class. It is also an affordable location. There are some excellent cultural amenities as well.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Here's a link:alrick wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:16 am Google FEMA National Risk Index. This is a great website that provides general risk levels and specific risk levels (hurricane, flood, earthquake, wild fires, etc.) for every county in every state of the United States. There are very clear patterns and the graphics are most helpful.
https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/product ... risk-index
Thanks for suggesting this. It was interesting to see that our former location (Seattle, WA) is a relatively high risk compared to our current city in PA being a relatively low risk.
"...the man who adapts himself to his slender means and makes himself wealthy on a little sum, is the truly rich man..." ~Seneca
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
It also matters where you are within your time zone. In the easternmost parts of New England, it gets dark at 4:30pm during part of the winter.Valuethinker wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:56 amIt's worth noting that London, England is at 51 degrees N. Edinburgh, Scotland is 55 degrees I think? Calgary AB is 49 degrees -- so that is north of any major city in the USA but still south of England.
New York City is on the same latitude as Madrid. Toronto ONT is on the same latitude as Aix-en-Provence in southern France.
So living at northern latitudes is not at all unfamiliar - many millions of people do. Most of the Lower 48 States, even the "northern" ones, are actually surprisingly far south.
It makes for longer winter nights, for sure.
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Something that I noticed on a map of risks in the safety group at work is that Tsunami, volcano, and earthquake are all the same thing. And, as these things are connected with the edge of certain tectonic plates, in some cases, they correspond with typhoons as well.
So it does seem like the rust belt is the way to go here, and a big area as you go south, as there is water and none of the above. As you get into more mountainous regions, you'll get away from the tornado risk, such as it is. You can to some degree choose your temperature in a belt of the USA that has water and is not coastal. As it happens, this can be a cheap part of the USA to live.
Avoiding floods is probably the easiest, but when you fly over the world, you do see that people are huddled near the low spots. They just are.
So it does seem like the rust belt is the way to go here, and a big area as you go south, as there is water and none of the above. As you get into more mountainous regions, you'll get away from the tornado risk, such as it is. You can to some degree choose your temperature in a belt of the USA that has water and is not coastal. As it happens, this can be a cheap part of the USA to live.
Avoiding floods is probably the easiest, but when you fly over the world, you do see that people are huddled near the low spots. They just are.
This time is the same
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Reading between the lines, you seem to be prioritizing risks and stuff like taxes over "where you want to live" . Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?MrWasabi65 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:19 pm
We have been narrowing down a list seeking locations not known for:
wild fires
earthquakes
land slides
tornadoes
floods
hurricanes
extreme heat
extreme cold
Of course there are other considerations - cost, taxation, amenities, etc....but our starting point for discussion has been weather factors.
I would first look at where I think I would be most happy. Maybe that's just me. But after having a life-threatening event out of the blue seven years ago, it reinforced the reality that anything unexpected can happen at any time, and I can't live my life and be happy in a protective bubble. I purchased waterfront property in FL last year because I am really happy spending my winters there. If a hurricane hits and destroys my home I will deal with it. You may find that crazy. I don't. I am happy there.
I also find it interesting that you don't consider the rust belt winters "extremely cold". I guess it is all relative.
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
IDK. I think I'd work it the other way around - and look at places I'd like to live for reasons like:
1.) family/friends near by
2.) hospital/medical facilities (assuming I will be old and need those services)
3.) the proximity of the types of entertainment I like to consume or hobbies I enjoy
4.) transportation (is a walkable community or public transportation important?)
I'd then Identify places that meet those criteria and then find (or build) a house that compensates for or is adapted to the types of weather or "disasters" that happen in that area.
I don't think there are too many places where "natural disasters" happen every year. And if I did want to move to a place like that (because it checked off all the other needs and wants I had) I'd not put as much time and effort into my "housing" as it might very well be temporary.
1.) family/friends near by
2.) hospital/medical facilities (assuming I will be old and need those services)
3.) the proximity of the types of entertainment I like to consume or hobbies I enjoy
4.) transportation (is a walkable community or public transportation important?)
I'd then Identify places that meet those criteria and then find (or build) a house that compensates for or is adapted to the types of weather or "disasters" that happen in that area.
I don't think there are too many places where "natural disasters" happen every year. And if I did want to move to a place like that (because it checked off all the other needs and wants I had) I'd not put as much time and effort into my "housing" as it might very well be temporary.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Our winters have actually been getting warmer. "Northern winters have heated up the most, with more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit of warming in Alaska, Minnesota, Vermont and Wisconsin since 1970."Valuethinker wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:48 amThere is cold... and there is cold. The Polar Vortex of recent years (Polar Vortices?). Longer and deeper periods of cold, even there, will have impacts.
https://www.edf.org/blog/2020/02/12/5
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
If this is real > You need to google "Availability Heuristic" and understand it.MrWasabi65 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:19 pm My brother and I have been discussing long range planning for a land purchase in the US where we can eventually build a home for one or both of us - a factor that concerns us is weather and expected future climate impacts....timeframe over the next few decades.
We have been narrowing down a list seeking locations not known for:
wild fires
earthquakes
land slides
tornadoes
floods
hurricanes
extreme heat
extreme cold
So far, we keep coming back to the area of the US once considered the rust belt and parts of the middle south that would be considered inland ....although it seems there have been more floods in certain areas as of late and extreme cold is up for debate - since we have been eliminating areas with lake effect snowfalls and higher elevations...
Of course there are other considerations - cost, taxation, amenities, etc....but our starting point for discussion has been weather factors.
Have any of you considered relocating due to predicted emerging weather patterns? do you have any new areas picked out?
There are so many other factors in choosing a place to live that should be more important than "likelihood of landslide, flood, and tornado". There is no ideal place to live, because if there was, it would be astronomically expensive (taking it off the top places to live).
If your primary goal is to prevent death and/or property damage by weather, while also avoiding swings in temperature, then sure - rustbelt somewhere.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
My plan is a work in progress. A camper van has been going in, and out, of the plan for years.Coltrane75 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:52 amIs that your plan???
It will probably never happen. But it is fun to think about! We'll probably be constrained by hotel or airbnb or similar.
OP I do not think you can avoid Catastrophic Weather Events. It is more, or less, a matter of time. If I was going to move my home base, I'd be looking at something that had been there for a least 50-100 years. Past history does not predict the future, but it does provide guidance.
Retired 2019. So far, so good. I want to wake up every morning. But I want to die in my sleep. Just another conundrum. I think the solution might be afternoon naps ;)
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Of course, there is insurance for this. But to avoid problems, I wouldn't build anywhere the government has to subsidize or provide your insurance.
Other than that, you and your brother are really worrying about very unlikely stuff that you can't control. Even if you think you can control it, weather patterns shift. Being so particular about it seems like a big waste of time and energy. Just pick a nice place.
Good luck,
JT
Other than that, you and your brother are really worrying about very unlikely stuff that you can't control. Even if you think you can control it, weather patterns shift. Being so particular about it seems like a big waste of time and energy. Just pick a nice place.
Good luck,
JT
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Here's my take:MrWasabi65 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:19 pm We have been narrowing down a list seeking locations not known for:
wild fires
earthquakes
land slides
tornadoes
floods
hurricanes
extreme heat
extreme cold
Rule out California, parts of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah,Idaho, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky:
wild fires (red)
earthquakes (gray)
Rule out locations in the SE and Eastern US within two hundred (200) miles of the coast
hurricanes (dark blue)
Rule out the anything in the US below about 33°N latitude and most of the SW (except high elevations)
extreme heat (roange)
Rule out anything in the US above about 33°N latitude except the Pacific Northwest
extreme cold (light blue)
Land slides generally occur on steeper slopes. Avoid living on or near mountains, large hills and other steep terrain.
Other than hurricane-risk areas, floods are localized around bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and bays. Check flood plain maps.
Tornadoes are very localized. When they do hit, damage to buildings is limited in scope to the very narrow area that constitutes the ground path of a tornado categorized as F2 or greater. Only about two hundred and fifty (250) or so of the eight hundred (800) tornadoes that occur in an average year in the US are that powerful. But if you want to be in a low-risk area for those as well, you'll need to avoid all of the southern US and the the Midwest. That pretty much leaves you with parts of the mid-Atlantic (PA, MD, VA and WV) and some of the coastal areas of Oregon and Washington.
Personally, other than general climate (hot, cold, wet, dry) considerations, there are a lot more factors that will have a greater impact upon your health, happiness, wealth and daily living than the risks you mention in this thread. For those risks, you can generally prepare, mitigate the risk and maintain good insurance coverage!
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Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Catastrophic weather is not even on my list. Sure, you don't want to build in a flood plain or in an avalanche chute etc and you do need to consider whatever the local conditions require. When we "settled down" it was geographically focused on family connections and potential career options. We rented for a year, bought an old fixer upper and then a few years later a nicer house/location that we never intend to leave. I would think much more about where you want to be than the weather.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
In an earlier post the OP indicated he was retired. If there is no requirement for employment opportunities and no concerns (presumably) about schools for children in the household the OP is under few constraints in his decision-making.MrWasabi65 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 1:18 pm I retired and moved full time to Florida, a no income tax state, in 2021...
The closest helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
Re: Home Purchase - Catastrophic Weather Events
Everything is local. Flooding can happen in any low lying area, for instance. Not limited to the coasts.
Here's a tool to search any property for flood, fire and heat risk: https://riskfactor.com/
Here's a tool to search any property for flood, fire and heat risk: https://riskfactor.com/