Flooding is not a terrorist organization, a rival economic superpower or a shadowy network of hackers — things we usually think of as national security threats. It’s a natural disaster, one which has the power to kill thousands of U.S. citizens and devastate the nation’s economy through the destruction of major metropolitan areas.

Since the beginning of time, floods have carved valleys, reshaped coastlines and upended human life. They remain one of nature’s most relentless and transformative forces and it’s time we take that threat seriously, especially with the increasing frequency and severity of storms in recent years.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, floods are the No.1 natural disaster in the United States. The Senate Joint Economic Committee estimates that floods cost the U.S. economy between $179.8 and $496 billion each year — more than........

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