Periodically, we Americans have to contend with our own modern version of the biblical plagues in ancient Egypt. But instead of being invaded by frogs or locusts, we have to endure a plague of political campaign signs.

They are everywhere — including some places they are not supposed to be displayed, as West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner noted this week.

Warner issued a press release reminding candidates and their supporters that it is illegal to place campaign signs on state property, including rights-of-way beside many highways.

To that, we would add that no signs should be placed on utility poles. Doing so makes climbing them more dangerous for utility workers.

If you have placed campaign signs where they should not be, please remove them. If that does not happen, state employees should remove the signs.

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Last spring, many victims of disastrous 2016 flooding in several West Virginia counties had reason to wonder whether their state government had forgotten them. About $150 million in federal relief funding had been sitting unused for many months, while bureaucrats in the state Department of Commerce dithered about how to get help to those hurt badly by the high water.

Then Gov. Jim Justice pulled the flood relief program out of the commerce agency and told the West Virginia National Guard to get things in order.

As of this week, 50 of the 452 flood victim cases that had been pending have been handled, Adjutant General James Hoyer reported.

In addition, contracts are in place for home rebuilding or replacement, new mobile homes and repairs of the remaining cases, Hoyer said.

“We’re not back to a sense of normalcy,” Hoyer cautioned. But, he added, “we’re at a point where people and communities see momentum going forward.”

Note, if you will, that the National Guard has accomplished all this while dealing with other duties, including helping hurricane victims in some southern states.

Good for the men and women of the National Guard. Clearly, they deserve a salute.