Why the Chehalis flooded? (can you say local government screwup?)

[Waterbuffalo]

Here are a couple of reasons why the Chehalis River did much more damage than in the past.. One question, Would any sane or smart person allow building near a flood plain? Guess who might have?

Take a look here for more information..

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004061504_flood09m.html

[Chief]

In 1996, the worst flood Lewis County had ever known blew through, drowning communities in muddy water high enough to close Interstate 5. Since then, the county has granted more than 100 permits for new development in the floodplain. The cities of Centralia and Chehalis added to the rush.

Big-box stores, restaurants and strip malls galore. A railroad line extension, parking lots for a church. A coal-unloading facility, a new natural-gas pipeline, a mine expansion. And barns, homes, carports and shops. All built in the floodplain.

It's all insured though, right?? Federal Flood Insurance, one way or another, and if FEMA and the Army Corps don't drop and do pushups on this, bet me that the Democratic Political Machine won't fire up the bitchometer with a new disaster to blame on Bush...

Bet me a burger it all gets rebuilt...

;D

[Waterbuffalo]

I won't bet you a burger.. I'll just let the warpath committee in Lewis County and Olympia beat their own war drums..

[Waterbuffalo]

From the Seattle times on 12/11/07 by Andrew Garber

"The dirty work of recovery is under way, but Gov. Christine Gregoire warned Monday that the hardest-hit communities face months of rebuilding from the state's worst flooding disaster.

"We're in for a long haul," Gregoire said. "It's not about days or weeks. This is about months of recovery."

And Gregoire said she expects frustrations to run high.

"It is emotional. I can't tell you how many people have broken down with me, in a flood of tears," she said. "It is a time now where people are in immediate need and they will not understand why [the federal government] can't get them a check — today."

Read it here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004064760_storm11m.html