Recent days have brought some drastic weather to the mid-Atlantic. As seen on television, much of the metropolitan Washington, D.C., region has been deluged; mud of biblical quality has invaded basements (including my own basement), walkways and streets; power outages blot the region; transportation, farming, government work and tourism have been impeded; and more rain may be on the way.

The worst harms have been suffered by people evacuated from their houses or trapped in their vehicles or drowned in a current. But even the lesser experiences of my own firsthand observation are indicators to which anyone concerned about public health and public safety should give heed.

On Monday, June 26, I was among thousands of commuters stuck in delayed mass transit for extra hours on the way to work. This wasn