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Should I ask why people live in these areas that could flood?

No, because (no offense intended-really!) it's a dumb question. It's like asking why people could live where there could be bad weather or earthquakes or liberals. Just facts of life. Nowhere is 100% safe from disaster. Given the mountainous but dry-ish nature of much of the west, there's an enormous number of reservoirs to catch water. Practical considerations mean they tend to be concentrated in the mountains, while other practical considerations mean the towns (which are generally older than the dams)) are mostly downstream of the mountains. The only way to avoid this situation would be to abandon the western third of the United States. In making this statement I'm exaggerating surprisingly little. It just is what it is- part of living in the west. A better question would be why do people in California keep voting for idiots who'd rather spend money on solar panels and high speed rail moonshot projects than on maintaining critical infrastructure that kills people when it breaks.

I agree it’s a dumb question. That I got over, and over and over again because I lived in South Mississippi when Katrina hit. The anger directed at those who “choose to live in an area prone to hurricanes” from other freepers was staggering.