On one level, I agree with the writer of “Out of the flood plain.” (4.2.08)  In fact, before I lived in an area affected by flooding, I used to think the same way.  I hope people who want to make suggestions for how others should behave will take the time to visit those areas and talk to the people directly involved.

For example, the city of Pacific did not experience a flood from 1919 to 1982  It has only been in the last two decades that the Meramec River and the little creeks around the area have crept into town.  The lowest lying part of town is also the most historic and contains some of the most prosperous businesses.  It’s just not that easy to “move out of the flood plain.”  One small church on First Street was founded in 1874.  Yes, it could be moved, but at what cost? Do taxpayers want to subsidize preserving the history in that building?  Another example is the McHugh-Dailey building which now houses our only coffee house and which will provide a community meeting room and theater on the 3rd floor sometime soon.  That building is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and was reconstructed on the present site from parts of World’s Fair buildings.

I’ll leave it to the hydrologists and engineers to figure out what the impact of levees in other towns is and how much climate change is affecting our weather patterns.  But until some kind of plan is developed for protecting Pacific’s history, I invite outsiders to come and take a look for themselves. It’s just not that easy to turn the heart of a town into a park.

Susan Cunningham

Pacific