This flood was new in that it brought about massive URBAN Flooding. (all that snow)from the lack of drains (or clogged up drains).
It not just the rivers.. as a matter of fact; the flooding over the roads is NOT from the rivers.

All along the highway I saw pipes gushing:
WATER into the ditches on the roads by the rivers.
WATER coming from DEVELOPMENTS.
WATER that the already saturated earth could not handle; so it was going over the roads.

(That) WATER belonged to the Developments NOT to the Environment or Rivers.

For Every Tree that is Cut;

For Every House that is Built:

A DRAIN Should Be Put in it's Place.<---I think I can make a song from that!

I see more and more construction adding "Run Off Areas".

We have a "Sacrifice Area" in the middle of our place. A "Run Off Area" (a hole that fills up with water,like a pond). So Kat's pastures are as mud free as possible and if it rains (or snows) before we had manure picked up;
the "melt off" goes into the "fenced off pond". The Run Off Area was created with layers of gravel and pipes and drains.

The towns that needed to be evacuated was due to Lack of Drainage or Run Off Areas.

Therefore; if people are going to chop down the forests and build; they have to address WHERE the run off water will go. and ensure it doesn't go into our rivers.