Future Forward (Powered by ACEC): Building Resilience: Climate Catastrophes Call for Engineered Solutions

If you live in or have traveled to certain parts of the country during the first half of 2025, you may have noticed something unusual: urgent and insistent buzzing from your cellphone, signaling a flash-flood warning in your immediate area. And if you’re thinking those warnings are coming with remarkable frequency, you’d be correct. Data recently compiled by Iowa State University noted that between Jan. 1, 2025, and July 15, 2025, the National Weather Service issued 3,040 alerts warning residents of imminent and dangerous flooding. That’s more than any other year since the warning-alert system was adopted in 1986.

The nation watched in anguish as devastating flash floods unleashed along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, bringing tragic loss of life and widespread destruction. Yet this catastrophe was not an isolated incident. Simultaneously, Tropical Storm Chantal caused extensive flooding in North Carolina, disrupting communities and displacing residents. Just days later, flash floods swept through parts of New Mexico, claiming three lives, while earlier this summer, torrential rainfall in West Virginia resulted in at least nine fatalities. These events highlight a growing crisis, underscoring the urgent need for preparedness and resilience in the face of increasingly severe weather patterns.

Monitoring and Mitigating Impact

Ninety-nine percent of U.S. counties face some level of flood risk. No matter which technology we have at our disposal or the ingenuity we apply to shaping the earth around us, nature’s raw power will always win unless steps are taken to mitigate its impact. For our nation’s infrastructure, that means continual investment and active monitoring of our environment and its actions. Time and time again, studies and real-life examples show the value that comes from investing in pre-disaster mitigation. One recent analysis shows the benefit-to-cost ratio for flood-defense projects could be as high as 120 to 1—for every $1 invested, there could be $120 in avoided damages and economic benefits.

As the frequency and severity of floods intensify, America’s engineering industry is being looked to for solutions. It’s not just about constructing barriers. It’s about crafting comprehensive strategies that integrate technology, community planning and environmental stewardship. Engineers are adopting a multifaceted approach to flood mitigation, one that recognizes the complexity of natural events and human societies. They’re designing adaptive infrastructure such as levees that can be heightened, drainage systems that can redirect torrents and wetlands that absorb excess water. These innovations often are coupled with cutting-edge technologies such as real-time data monitoring and predictive analytics, allowing swift response to emerging threats and, just as importantly, critical lead time in advance of potential threats.

Champions of Sustainability

Such work transcends the mere act of construction; it’s an obligation where progress is measured in lives safeguarded and communities preserved. But it’s also an example of engineers serving as champions of sustainable solutions that work in harmony with nature rather than against it. There are myriad examples of infrastructure projects that use natural landscapes to manage floodwaters. These initiatives enhance biodiversity, improve air quality and provide recreational spaces. Engineers are creating a vision of resilience that respects the natural rhythms of our planet while safeguarding human habitation.

Administration officials are reviewing FEMA programs and operations, and lawmakers are proposing sweeping reforms to the agency and its core mission. Continued federal funding of pre-disaster mitigation projects, and rebuilding stronger and more-resilient systems is an urgent necessity rooted in the realities of our time.

The challenges posed by these increasingly devastating—and increasingly frequent—flooding events demand solutions that are as robust as they are forward-thinking, and these solutions require substantial investment. Every dollar spent on flood mitigation and adaptation to extreme weather events is a downpayment on a safer, more-resilient future. It’s an investment in hope and a declaration that we believe in the power of human ingenuity to build a world where resilience is the norm, not the exception. 

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