While FEMA has improved the accuracy and accessibility of the maps over time with better data, digital tools and community input, the maps still don't capture everything.

To understand why inland regions are so vulnerable to heavy rainfall, The Post compared the response to Helene in western North Carolina with that of Florida’s Gulf Coast, where the storm hit first.

The number of people reported missing in the hardest hit Texas flood region during the catastrophic floods has plunged dramatically from nearly 100 as most have been found safe, officials ...

Kerr County was the hardest hit region when the Guadalupe River surged 20 feet in just 90 minutes in the early hours of July 4, killing 27 counselors and children at a Christian summer camp.

A Facebook message the regional office posted around 1 p.m. the day before Helene hit warned of “significant to catastrophic, life-threatening flooding” in the mountains.

For example, when flooding from Hurricane Helene hit unmapped areas around Asheville, North Carolina, in 2024, it caused a huge amount of uninsured damage to properties.

US News Number of missing in hardest hit Texas flood region drops dramatically — as many have been found safe By Anna Young Published July 20, 2025, 2:42 a.m. ET ...

For example, when flooding from Hurricane Helene hit unmapped areas around Asheville, North Carolina, in 2024, it caused a huge amount of uninsured damage to properties.