The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned Monday that flash floods kill more than 5,000 people each year, more than any other flood-related disaster.

As the world's population grows, particularly in cities, and cultures continue to push on floodplains, the demand for flash flood early warning systems becomes increasingly pressing.

In 2007, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and the Hydrologic Research Center (HRC) formed a partnership to develop and implement a global early warning flash flood forecasting system (Flash Flood Guidance System – FFGS).

By 2021, nearly 3 billion people in 67 countries will have received early warnings of probable flash floods from their National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), which are working in collaboration with their National Disaster Management Agencies.

The virtual event "Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) with Global Coverage - Vision 2030" was held on November 16, 2021, and was attended by 140 representatives from 50 nations.

The goal was to bring together users of national and regional systems to showcase the most recent achievements since the FFGS Global Workshop in Turkey in 2019, share best practices for using flash flood guidance products, and discuss sustainability in order to ensure long-term operations and service delivery.