COMMENTARY | Local agencies are not climate modeling labs, but by using external data, leaders can protect their capacity and focus entirely on using local expertise to make decisions.
In June this year, intense rainfall from Tropical Storm Arthur stalled vehicles on Interstate 35, forcing the closure of dozens of arterial roads across Central Texas. Weeks later, a slow-moving convective storm dropped up to 12 inches of rain across southeastern Missouri and the Ohio River Valley, washing out critical roads and triggering localized states of emergency.
These severe, hyper-local flash floods are the kind of weather shocks forcing local governments to rapidly reconsider their data usage.
For municipal engineers and public sector leaders in emergency management, navigating these compounding crises can feel incredibly taxing — especially when balancing shifting political landscapes, tightening municipal budgets and unpredictable funding cycles.
Route Fifty
By Peter Slater
August 21, 2026