I think the belief comes about because forests do help to reduce floods in small areas, and so people assume it must also apply to severe floods in large areas.

Most people automatically believe that if there's a large flood then loggers and deforestation are responsible. In most cases it's not true.

The areas that are producing are so small consumers would be lucky to see a Florida oyster right now,

The simple explanation for large-scale flooding is that it rains a huge amount and that flooding is part of natural processes. There is a tendency to look for culprits when these natural events occur.

My suspicions are that we'll find [things] in the chemical and biological areas. In fact, I think there may be some surprises coming rather quickly in that area.

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