HRC Global Initiative on Flash Floods A Program to Prevent Disasters Before They Occur
- Each year flash floods kill more people, on average, than any other natural disaster.
- Most countries still lack the capability to recognize and predict flash flooding, issue flood warnings, and coordinate disaster response.
- Least developed and developing countries countries suffer the greatest loss of life due to lack of resources to warn victims.
The Commitment
Over the past several years, a primary focus of HRC has been the development and implementation of a system designed to be used by weather services and disaster management agencies around the world to develop localized warnings for deadly flash floods.
HRC is now involved in an initiative to implement appropriate technology and programs throughout the world to provide these much needed warnings, building off of our first system implementation in Central America. The biggest need, and our focus, is Least Developed and Developing countries where little, if any, capacity exists to warn for flash floods.
HRC is committed to implementing this global initiative to reduce deaths, disease, and other negative social and economic impacts caused by flash flooding.
Global Flash Flood Warning Concept Video
Fundraising For The Flash Flood Initiative
Donations and Funding
HRC has already secured contributions and pledges totaling $2 million from private and public donors. We are in the process of seeking additional donors for the remainder
of the required funding to fully implement the program globally.
Current News & Events
- HRC announces signing of an international agreement to help warn for flash floods around the world. more >
A Note From Our President
What makes flash floods prodigious killers around the world is the lack of timely public warning information at the site where they occur and the lack of public awareness of the flash flood danger. Flash floods are typically infrequent in a particular location but can occur anywhere. The developing world is particularly vulnerable to these events due to the absence of warning information and guidelines for effective response action. Death tolls are exceedingly high as you can read in other sections of this web site. more >