Amen.
I’m an east coast transplant living in Iowa. These are nice folks, hard working, and they don’t wait on the government. Check the pictures from the 2008 flood if you want to see real Americans working through adversity.
The flood of 1993 was much larger than in 2008, but your compliment rings true in both events!
http://www.weather.gov/dvn/071993_greatflood