Yea, live in Pittsburgh where the Ohio river starts. Most of our flooding is to be the areas by the Ohio. From the news reports the Allegheny and the Mon river that makes the Ohio river isn't suppose to be too bad with flooding. Just the usual. We have had nothing but rain, rain and more rain. The ground is so saturated by the snow melt that the rain has no where to go. Having a fair share of landslides that are also threatening homes on the steeper hills. People who even live at the higher elevations are getting water seeping into their basements.

Yea, I know what you mean about the people who live in the flood planes. They whine every time they get flooded and how everyone should help them (money). Well you bought a home in a area that has flooded since the beginning of time. Either move or buy flood insurance if you want to stay. I am not paying for you stupidity.

Flooding can be very devastating to a person. This is my friend Ling's apartment:

I can relate to the heavy flooding but even people who do not live in flood planes can be effected by heavy rains. Last August 22-23 this area had an 11-14+ inch rain. Even areas like my house that is just outside of the flood plane area that qualifies for flood insurance was flooded. With the odd weather that parts of the US has been having. Looking at the national radar there will be areas with heavy amounts of rain although it appears that the line of storms is finally starting to move East.

Chicago these days. Floods and winds.

Drought here. 1.9" of rain for the season since October 1. That's normal for Death Valley, but not for here.

hoovb you have had more water this year than here until the last couple of days. The NWS posted last week that we had received 1.34" inches of rain for the winter. The freezing rain/rain etc. since Thursday raised that total but they have not posted the amount.

function.....so how do you feel about those who live in hurricane prone coastlines, or a tornado belt, or in an area frequented by wildfires?

To me, flood plains (not planes) are somewhat different from other natural disaster-prone areas. Flood plains flood, that's a certainty. Other places may have a risk of natural disaster but with a lower level of likelihood than having too much water on a flood plain or in lower lying areas.

To answer the question you posed but not to me - when people choose to live in certain places - low lying or poorly drained areas, or along the banks of a river or by a beach, or in tornado country - they can't ignore that they're subjecting themselves to risks of loss or injury that can be expected to occur with greater likelihood than if they lived elsewhere. I'm sympathetic about any human suffering but less so in these cases where the damage causing event was one that has happened before, could be expected to happen again, and yet knowing that their choice of location put them at risk.

I agree completely with function's second paragraph.

rhizo_1 Hurricanes and wide spread wildfires are pretty non-existing here, and once in a blue moon we will have a tornado touch down for a short distance. But flooding is common. We are an area with many rivers, creeks and streams. We have more bridges than Venice, Italy. And the places that flood in our area are pretty much predictable. They have been flooding forever. I'm not talking about the super storm that comes through and floods homes that never have been flooded before. But the homes that flood year after year. Where a hurricane, tornado or wildfire will hit is less predictable. But if your in a hurricane, tornado or wildfire prone area, get insurance to cover your losses. Don't expect people to pay over and over and over again to reconstruct your home.