Beltrami County, Minnesota · Bemidji
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Pipes freeze in Beltrami County on about 112 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 19% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Beltrami County averages 2.7 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
19% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Beltrami County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 1.96 inches, and about 82 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
38% of occupied homes in Beltrami County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Minnesota county median of 30%.
With 3 muggy nights a year, mold in Beltrami County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 21,729 homes and around 46,512 residents, Beltrami County is 2,505 square miles of northwest Minnesota. Bemidji is the county seat; Redby, Red Lake and Little Rock are the next largest communities. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1987.
33/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Beltrami County ranks 80 of 87 Minnesota counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Beltrami County ranks highest compared with other Minnesota counties.
Beltrami County gets more hard-freeze nights than most of Minnesota. From 2015–2024 it averaged 112 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 179 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 14th of 87 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -42°F, and in the stretch ending March 2019 the county went 60 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to April, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 7 and end around May 12.
Beltrami gets fewer downpours than most Minnesota counties, but they still fill basements. Of roughly 23.1 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 2.7 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 83rd of 87. May, June and August see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 1.96 inches, August 4, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 3.2 inches, ending June 9, 2020, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
About 82 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Minnesota's 87 counties range widely in housing age; Beltrami ranks 75th, with 42% of its homes built before 1980.
33% of homes were built in 2000 or later, more than in most of Minnesota. Newer plumbing rarely corrodes, so damage here tends to come from appliance supply lines, water heaters, sump pumps and storms.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 25% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Here 12% of housing is manufactured homes. Check the skirting and the heat tape on the main water line every fall, because that one exposed line is what freezes.
16% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Renters occupy 30% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
About 3 nights a year in Beltrami County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (76th of 87 counties). June is the wettest month. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectHeating fuel matters for fire risk. In Beltrami County it's 31% utility gas, 27% electric, 32% propane and 6% wood. Wood and propane heat are more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Beltrami County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Clearwater, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington and Roseau get more pipe-freeze nights than Beltrami. Marshall County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Beltrami | Minnesota median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 19% | 34% | 73 of 87 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 42% | 58% | 75 of 87 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 33% | 21% | 10 of 87 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 12% | 3.8% | 6 of 87 |
| Vacant homes | 16% | 11% | 25 of 87 |
| Wood or propane heat | 38% | 30% | 25 of 87 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 112/yr | 89/yr | 14 of 87 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 2.7/yr | 5.3/yr | 83 of 87 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 82/yr | 86/yr | 71 of 87 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 3/yr | 13/yr | 76 of 87 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Minnesota county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Beltrami County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in May, June and August.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology