I would never live in a floodplain.

When I was a kid, I lived in Hazard, Ky., which is on the North Fork of the Kentucky river. Floods were common. My paper route went underwater twice in the same summer. I have vivid memories of delivering papers a day late, while people pushed mud out their front doors. All of the streets in that neighborhood were flooded as well as many of the homes.

We lived up on a hill well above the worst of floods. There was one intersection in our neighborhood that would briefly flood up to the top of the curb. That would happen during any heavy thunderstorm, but it never flooded any houses and I used to enjoy watching the car plow through the water as they got a runago at Cedar Street hill.

Most of the streets in Hazard were too steep for flooding, but my paper route followed the river upstream from the center of town.

The house were we live now is at about 975 feet above sea level, and well out of reach of the Tennessee river that wanders through the county at about 847 feet or so. We are also on a ridge between Town Creek and Muddy Creek. No flood danger there.

I think the Kentucky floods taught me something and I have never considered living in a place with even a remote possibility of floods. But many people do. Bodies of water provide a scenic view and recreation, but the risk of floods is not worth it.

Now if I could just figure out what to do about tornadoes.
Howard