Been considering this as I live in WNC. 1. The roads were built near the rivers, easiest and most convenient. 2. When rural electrification came thru, they only ran power to the towns and hiways. People left their homes in the hollers and hills and moved to the roads. 3. River valleys flood.

I've seen it all over the region. We have to rethink a lot of our old patterns with climate change.