Flooding is one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in the U.S., causing billions of dollars in damage each year. In 2024 alone, floods destroyed homes in over a dozen states and claimed more than 165 lives.
Storms like these are intensifying faster, weakening more slowly and producing more extreme precipitation that the land can't absorb fast enough. While many coastal areas are becoming more prepared for hurricane and tidal flooding, inland flood risk is less understood or easily anticipated.
These disasters underscore the importance of fast, accurate flood warnings. They're also a reminder that extensive gaps still exist in the systems that monitor U.S. stream levels.
However, the streamgage network covers less than 1% of the nation's rivers and streams, which limits the capacity for timely and accurate flood monitoring.
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