Federal money is coming to fix aging flood control systems – but plans all too often reflect historical patterns and not future risks

Mississippi River flooding left parts of Davenport, Iowa, under water in May 2023. KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Heavy downpours and a thick snowpack in the Western mountains and Upper Midwest have put communities in several states at risk of flooding this spring – or already under water.

Flooding is the costliest type of natural disaster in the U.S., responsible for about 90% of the damage from natural disasters each year. It happens almost every day somewhere in the country.