It has something to do with basic american arrogance. E.g. many western cities americans came to and saw the mexican populations living on the hills instead of

It has something to do with basic american arrogance. E.g. many western cities americans came to and saw the mexican populations living on the hills instead of on the flats. What fools, the americans thought, until inevitably for most of these towns they experienced some 100 year deluge that absolutely wiped out stick frame mainstreet while those foolish homes upland were untouched. This pattern would continue for some towns in the american west until the army corps of engineers channelized local waterways to force the main street on the lowland location to work… right up until we finally got storms that exceeded even those flood water estimates. The hubris of the American is rather unique thanks to some of the Manifest Destiny tenets that still persist in our culture to this day.