We have all heard the news of the floods in the Pacific Northwest, and in Northern California. Some of you, I know, were up there and saw them.

Floods can be terrible, dangerous and devastating, sweeping away houses and other structures. I understand that Sacramento, which is built at the confluence of two rivers, the Sacramento and the American, almost flooded this time. People anticipated what a terrible devastation that would be. If the American River had risen a few more feet, that would have happened. I often wonder what would happen if both the American and Sacramento Rivers flooded at the same time. I am afraid that Sacramento would relocate in San Francisco.

The problem, you see, is building structures in flood plains. But, as a matter of fact, people have always done that from t…