A new flood warning system in Cameron County could change how Rio Grande Valley communities prepare for severe weather.

The project will add 18 monitoring stations to the 48 already collecting real-time data across the region.

Cameron County Director of Resilience and Natural Resources Augusto Sanchez Gonzalez said they want to make a collaboration with all Valley counties.

Cameron County is working with regional partners to determine where those new stations would provide the most useful information.

The project would also build the technology needed to combine water levels, weather forecasts and flood models, then turn that information into warnings.

"The whole goal is to save life and property. So, that's what we're looking at, just to keep the community informed so they can take actions based on that reliable information," Gonzalez said.

The $3 million project is expected to begin early next year.

The system will have to be built and tested during actual rain events before it can officially go live.