Scholars and designers of early warning systems say that there are still huge gaps in our ability to predict flash floods and warn those at risk.

The dangers of extreme weather events have been top of mind for camp officials, after flash flooding in Texas killed at least 120 people, including more than two dozen campers and staffers.

On average, it takes five to seven years to develop and implement a new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. As a result, many maps across the U.S. are significantly out of date, often failing to reflect current land use, urban development or evolving flood risks from extreme weather.

Organizations across Western New York are preparing to deploy volunteers and resources to Texas in response to the devastating flash flooding that recently struck the area.

Numerous showers and thunderstorms are possible Thursday with localized pockets of heavy rain and a low chance for flooding. The potential for hit or miss rain will decrease heading into the weekend,

Heavy rains have the potential to grind New York City to a halt if waters force subway lines to shutter. Streets can become inundated after a downpour, and there’s the risk of transport snarls on commuter lines like the Metro-North trains. That was the case two years ago when torrential showers pelted the metropolitan area.

Eight-year-old girls at sleep-away camp, families crammed into recreational vehicles, local residents traveling to or from work. These are some of the victims.

The concurrent flood events provided clear evidence of the vulnerabilities in these rural communities and how more needs to be done to shore up homes and communities in low-lying areas across the state.