No flood gauges, no warning: 99% of US streams are off the radar amid rising flash flood risks – we saw the harm in 2024

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1. Deploying a single sensor costs over US$25,000 for permanent federal gauges, and nearly 70% of these costs can fall on communities. These high upfront costs, combined with rising operational expenses, significantly limit sensor coverage — particularly in small and urban watersheds prone to flash floods.The U.S. Geological Survey acknowledges that these sensors alone do not provide enough data at fast enough intervals to fully address flood risk.

   Tl;Dr if you live near a stream or river, 99% chance the flood risk is underestimated so eye ball it and make sure you are covered.

   I live amidst a lot of streams in NJ and may get flood insurance. Luckily insurance uses the same antiquated network as the government so maybe my risk will be deemed low.

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