Most townspeople would blame the increased damage on the slow pace of planning to improve and manage the Tali River, but a water conversancy employee who was measuring the depth of the river after the flood asked, "Don't they realize that dumping trash and reck-lessly building on the banks is also a reason?"
鄉民大都歸咎於事權不統一，以致規劃長達廿一年的大里溪整治計畫仍未動工。然而，「他們難道不清楚佔用河川地、任意搶建、傾倒垃圾也是原因之一？」一位在災後測量河道的水利局職員說。