Floods - Dispatch Editorial

One can't help but feel sorry for neighboring North Dakotans and western Minnesotans who are scrambling to fortify dikes and protect their homes and businesses from swollen rivers.

Having been told that they survived the Flood of the Century in 1997, they surely never thought the waters of the Red River and its tributaries would again pose such a threat to life and property.

This week the potential combination of melting snow and rain storms has many riverside residents casting a wary eye at Mother Nature.

Brainerd is blessed with a location that keeps most of the city out of harm's way when high waters converge but just a glance at the cresting Mississippi River gives an indication of how lazy rivers and streams can run wild and be terribly destructive forces at this time of year.

The flood victims of 1997 who are threatened again, must be wondering how this sad scenario could be re-enacted so soon.

In some cases, not all, it's happening to them again because property owners have ignored government warnings about building in certain areas of a flood plain. Some folks stubbornly cling to their beautiful riverside views and then complain about the cruelty of nature.

The government certainly has a legitimate role to play in helping flood victims, but those who repeatedly rebuild dangerously close to rivers that flood shouldn't expect unlimited help from taxpayers who build on less scenic but safer sites.