DAVID MARCUS: In wake of Kerrville flood, locals ignore blame game
With a death toll of over a hundred, many of whom are children, one might expect bitter anger and recrimination. But little of that is on display on the ground. Christian, an Uber driver in his 40's who grew up in Kerrville, said of the flood that "the system will never be perfect, it just came so fast, there's nothing you can do with 20 feet of water rising in a half hour."
This was in the wake of aggressive questioning by reporters directed at local officials that almost seemed to be intent on finding blame, not explanations.
There was a tinge of anger in Christian's voice as he added, "Now they're going after the mayor and the fire department,. It's not fair."
This attitude was echoed by Rob, in his 50s who was newer to the area, but told me, "it was a perfect storm," not intending the pun. "It probably didn't help that it was the early morning hours of July 4th, but it was so fast, just a terrible tragedy."
This attitude, which basically broke down to looking at the flash flood as an irrepressible act of God, stood in contrast to what I heard from victims of the North Carolina floods of last fall. But there, the anger was about the aftermath, not the lead-up.
Locals in Hill Country were also unimpressed by arguments that the Trump administration's federal job cuts had left the National Weather Service ill-prepared to forecast, reporting that was quickly debunked, as it turns out the agency had extra staff working.
Likewise, the ever-present left-wing argument that every weather incident in the country is the result of climate change and our inability to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels did not have much purchase. "They say that about everything," one woman told me, eyes rolling.
One possible cause of the floods that I did hear about from several residents was cloud seeding. In fact, they were bringing it up to me on Monday, before it broke through as a national story.
Experts seem to agree that nearby seeding operations did not cause the massive rainfall, but there was an understandable concern from those I spoke with about the practice of fooling around with the power of Mother Nature.
One thing that came through with most of the people I spoke with was that when you live in such intimate proximity to powerful forces of nature, the risk of that is known and in large part accepted.
Much as people who choose to live in cities often accept higher rates of violent crime, those who live in the pathway of common natural devastation understand the tradeoffs.
There is no perfect safety. For all of our technology from space travel to the internet, in the face of enough fire or water, we remain more or less helpless. Just this year in Los Angeles, the fires raged until the wind died down. It could have been 1925, not 2025.
There is no question that locals in Hill Country want the authorities to learn as much from this horrible event as possible, and to make changes where needed, such as calls for a siren system to alert residents of flooding.
Even sirens, though, are not perfect. If used too often, they will eventually be ignored. If used too sparingly, they might fail to provide warning when water as fast as Kerr County saw last Friday moves in.
Millions of Americans, for example, receive tornado warnings from their phones many times a year. Often they are ignored, usually with little harm done, but sometimes with tragic consequences.
A final factor that helps the people of Hill Country focus on helping each other, rather than blaming each other or the Trump administration, is the powerful Christian faith held by so many here.
It is not just that their faith allows them the comfort of knowing the lost are with God now; the churches themselves became powerful epicenters of volunteering and support.
There will be time for answers about the lead-up to this flood. Thankfully, at least for now, all the focus of the locals is on aiding one another and continuing the life and growth of their communities even under a cloud of nature's dark power.
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CNN
31 minutes ago
- CNN
Texas flooding timeline: What happened in the hours before, during and after
Storms Federal agenciesFacebookTweetLink Follow For many families, the most serious warnings about the deadly and raging torrent in Texas Hill Country last week came too late. Many were asleep. Others, in a region long accustomed to extreme weather, were kept up by heavy bursts of rain and earsplitting cracks of thunder that shook buildings. 'I thought it was just lightning and thunderstorm,' recalled Caroline Cutrona, a counselor at Camp Mystic, where young girls bonded in rustic cabins with names like the Bubble Inn and the Giggle Box. 'I had no idea of the severity.' She was not alone. Still, state emergency management officials had activated emergency response resources as early as Wednesday evening, warning of potential flooding heading into the July Fourth holiday weekend. The alerts – including critical warnings the National Weather Service said gave preliminary lead times of more than three hours before flash flooding conditions occurred – would grow more dire. Torrential rains transformed the pristine Guadalupe River, unleashing roaring cascades in the predawn hours of Independence Day along 40 miles of Kerr County, claiming at least 103 lives there alone, including 36 children. The confirmed death toll in Texas was 129 as of Friday evening. At least 150 people are still missing statewide – at least 140 of them in Kerr County. More than a summer's worth of rain had fallen in the area overnight into the holiday, swelling part of the river from about 3 feet to 30 feet in just 45 minutes and turning the beloved waterway into a killer. The catastrophic deluge laid waste to communities across Kerr and Kendall counties, where neighborhoods and RV parks, as well as the 18 or so youth camps attended by thousands of kids each summer, were swept away in its fury. 'The first thing I thought, 'This is not real. Wake up, Caroline. Wake up,'' Cutrona told CNN's Anderson Cooper. ''I'm in a dream,' and that's what I wanted it to be.' Here's what we know about how a nightmare scenario unfolded in Texas: 6:29 p.m. CT The Texas Division of Emergency Management announces activation of state emergency response resources in anticipation of 'increased threats of flooding in parts of West and Central Texas heading into the holiday weekend.' It urges residents to 'follow instructions from local officials, make an emergency plan, and prepare an emergency supply kit.' 6:36 a.m. CT The National Weather Service issues short-term guidance, valid until Thursday afternoon, indicating morning thunderstorms and a humid, moist environment capable of producing flooding rainfall. The guidance flags the NWS office for Austin and San Antonio to note the flood risk. 7 a.m. CT The NWS releases a flood outlook noting flash or river flooding is possible in parts of Central Texas over the coming days. It describes a very tropical atmosphere with the potential for producing flooding rainfall in central and southern Texas. 10 a.m. CT County judges and city mayors are invited to join a daily call to discuss weather forecasts. A regional coordinator reached out personally to officials in the area, making sure they 'were aware there could be flooding,' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick later said. 'The message was sent,' Patrick said. 'It is up to the local counties and mayors under the law to evacuate if they feel the need.' 'I will tell you personally, I did not receive a call,' Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. told reporters this week, adding he could not speak for the Kerr County judge. 1:18 p.m. CT The NWS issues a flood watch, highlighting Kerrville, among other locations, as being at risk of flash flooding through the night into Friday. It forecast 5 to 7 inches of rainfall. 6:30 p.m. CT The NWS issues an updated forecast for the Guadalupe River: 'Rapid runoff is expected, with locally considerable flash and urban flash flooding possible … the nocturnal timing will also enhance the hazard potential and impacts.' It notes the potential for a historic rainfall event, though it's unclear if that messaging reached emergency managers. The weather service's forecast offices for Austin, San Antonio and San Angelo, as well as the West Gulf River Forecast Center in Fort Worth, assign extra personnel to work Thursday night into the next day, according to NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei. Kerrville Mayor Herring later said he went outside Thursday night before the storm and looked at the sky. 'Partly cloudy. The sky was not angry and I thought to myself, 'someone's going to get rain, but it's probably not going to be us.' And I was wrong,' he said. 'I was awakened in the middle of the night by thunder. I looked outside, we had a light rain. In fact, the city of Kerrville really didn't have a lot of rain until later in the day.' Midnight CT Glenn Juenke, a Camp Mystic staffer, told CNN he was monitoring the rain gauges on the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority's website. 'Many of the rain gauges were out of order or offline and were useless. They provided no information about the level of rainfall upstream of Camp Mystic where I was acting in the capacity of night watchman.' 1:14 a.m. CT The NWS issues a flash flood warning, upgraded from the earlier watch, for parts of Kerr County. 2:30 a.m. CT Lorena Guillen, who owns an RV park and restaurant in Kerrville, told CNN she closed her restaurant around 12:45 a.m. CT after July Fourth celebrations. When rain started to pour heavier over the next two hours, she drove to the edge of the river and observed its height. The water level appeared normal, she said. She called the Kerr County Sheriff's Office to ask whether the Guadalupe would rise with the rain and put her RV tenants in danger. She said she was assured they would be safe. About an hour after the call, Guillen said, she saw lights from a rescue team. One of the park's long-term residents had heard screaming and called 911. 3 a.m. CT At Camp Mystic's Bug House cabin, owner Dick Eastland and his son, Edward, a camp director, helped a group of girls – clutching pillows and blankets – evacuate in ankle-deep water to a nearby recreation hall, a 12-year-old camper told CNN. With the water rapidly rising, the campers spent the night on the second floor, illuminated by flashlights. 'Everyone was scared because there was water coming in,' said the girl, whose mother asked she not be identified to protect her privacy. The girls sang, prayed and slept until about 6 a.m. when the rain stopped. When counselors did a roll call later, the girls realized some campers were missing. At Chatterbox cabin at the same camp, girls screamed as floodwaters swept inside, according to 9-year-old twin sisters who were there. Their mother also asked they not be identified. One twin let campers keep their 'lovies' and 'stuffies' on her top bunk for safety. The twins said they watched a car they believed would rescue them wash away in a surge of water. With counselors, the campers climbed out a window and waded through chest-high waters to higher ground. They later learned three Chatterbox campers were among the missing. 'We didn't know if they got … washed away in the rapids,' one girl said. 'Whenever we were cold, they kept giving us hugs and we were crying, they would always comfort us,' one twin said of the counselors. A rainbow appeared later that morning – which the girls said was 'a sign from God.' 3:27 a.m. CT A local firefighter calls dispatch to report high water on the main highway getting to Hunt, Texas, from the east. 'Yes ma'am … Guadalupe is starting to come up and Schumacher is no longer passable at this time,' the firefighter says, referring to the scenic Schumacher Crossing over the river. 3:30 a.m. CT Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said first responders started to get swept away by floodwaters. 'That's how quick it happened,' Rice said. 'First responders who have experience, who are swift-water qualified.' 3:50 a.m. CT A dispatcher tells first responders about people in distress along State Highway 39, which crosses the Guadalupe and runs through Texas Hill Country: 'We're getting multiple calls off of 39. People are stating their houses are flooding. We're trying to advise them to get to higher area.' About 4 a.m. CT Camp Mystic counselor Caroline Cutrona said the roar of thunder and lighting kept her awake. She noticed the camp had lost power. The cabin, where she watched over 14 girls ages 9 and 10, shook violently. Around the same time, video obtained by CNN shows a cabin at the boys Camp La Junta floating away in the floodwaters. 4:03 a.m. CT The NWS issues a flash flood emergency warning for Kerr County, stating, 'Move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.' 4:22 a.m. CT A firefighter calls dispatch, asking for a CodeRED emergency alert to be issued: 'Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?' The dispatcher responds: 'Stand by, we have to get that approved with our supervisor.' 4:45 a.m. CT A gauge along the Guadalupe River, in Kerrville, shows water levels hit 23.4 feet. Water levels in that spot almost certainly crested above 23.4 feet, but the gauge didn't record data for three hours – between 4:45 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. local time –before picking back up its measurement. 5 a.m. CT The raging river bursts from its banks around this time, sweeping homes, cars, campers and cabins downstream. It took about 90 minutes for the 20-foot flood wave to move down the Guadalupe River overnight, triggering the river's second-highest crest on record. 5:03 a.m. CT Kerr Fire dispatch announces: 'The river is completely swollen … there is a car with occupants in it floating down the river.' Rice, the Kerrville city manager, started getting phone calls around 5 a.m. local time. 'By the time we got back out there, the river had already risen 20 or 25 feet. It rose significantly in that amount of time. We almost got stuck when we went back,' he told CNN. 'Nobody could have ever predicted this.' 5:30 a.m. CT Notifications sent by Kendall County indicate the first wireless emergency message for a flood warning was sent to residents at this time. Three more alerts were issued on the wireless warning system between 7 a.m. and 8:06 a.m. CT. Herring, Kerrville's mayor, told reporters: 'I individually did not receive a warning in time. When I woke up, I got a call from the city manager' around 5:30 a.m. local time. He said he went downtown and Louise Hays Park, which is perched on the river, 'was already inundated. That was the first time I knew.' 5:32 a.m. CT A unit identified as 'Utility 51' asks a dispatcher at Kerr County Fire Operations: 'Can you advise who's running command?' Central dispatch responds: 'Sir, we don't have an incident command right now.' 5:34 a.m. CT The NWS issues a more dire flash flood emergency warning of an imminent threat, specifically for Kerrville. 5:57 a.m. CT The US Coast Guard receives an initial call, although their specific launch time is unavailable. What was supposed to be an hourlong flight took between seven and eight hours due to weather conditions, according to the air crew. Around 6 a.m. CT Mayor Herring Jr. told the Texas Tribune he received an alert on his phone from the CodeRED system. 6:02 a.m. CT Video obtained by CNN showed law enforcement officers in Kerr County shouting evacuation orders. 6:31 a.m. CT Kerr County posted on social media: 'Flooding along the Guadalupe River is happening now. Be safe and move to higher ground. Do not drive through water. Turn Around - Don't Drown!' 8:30 a.m. CT The Kerr County Sheriff's Office confirms people have died during the 'catastrophic flooding event' in a post on social media. 'Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground,' the post said. 10:04 a.m. CT A source told CNN affiliate KSAT neither the Kerr County Sheriff's Office nor the Kerrville Police Department sent a CodeRED Alert to some residents until this time. 11:59 a.m. CT Kerr County officials declare a disaster due to 'extreme, life-threatening' flooding. When everyone remaining at Camp Mystic had finished lunch, Cutrona said one of the camp's directors pulled counselors aside and informed them 27 girls and the camp's owner, Dick Eastland, were missing. 'Camp Mystic's the safest place I've ever known, and I just couldn't believe it,' Cutrona said. 6:30 p.m. CT The US Coast Guard's MH-65 air crew arrives in the area and begins to rescue survivors. It is uncertain what time the air crew completed rescue efforts. 'The last live rescue, unless there's new information, and I don't believe there is, was made on Friday,' Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. As searchers agonizingly scour the area for unaccounted flood victims, local officials have been adamant they could not have done more to prevent the tragedy. CNN's Pamela Brown, Andrew Freedman, Emma Tucker, Mary Gilbert, Holly Yan, Alisha Ebrahimji, Alaa Elassar and Dalia Faheid contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tourists, residents evacuated from Grand Canyon due to wildfires
Fast-spreading wildfires have forced the evacuation of part of the Grand Canyon, with the US National Park Service ordering visitors and residents away from its northern rim. "Due to the advancing Dragon Bravo Fire within Grand Canyon National Park, all North Rim residents are now in 'GO' status and should evacuate the North Rim immediately," the National Park Service said in an X post on Friday afternoon. The Dragon Bravo Fire, which was sparked by lightning and has been burning since July 4, was 150 acres (61 hectares) in size Friday evening and zero percent contained, a US government incident report said. Park Service staff had already cleared the North Rim, which is less popular with tourists than the South Rim, of some 500 visitors late Thursday. Day-use access to the area was also closed due to a larger blaze called the White Sage Fire, which was burning outside the Grand Canyon National Park. However, it was approaching Jacob Lake, Arizona, a small settlement known as the gateway to the North Rim. About 10,973 acres (4,441 hectares) have been scorched by the White Sage Fire which is zero-percent contained, according to authorities, who released images of large columns of smoke rising above the scrubby desert. Jon Paxton, press officer for the Coconino County sheriff's office, told AFP that a hotel and some businesses had been emptied. "Most of the folks we evacuated were campers," he said. "This area is high desert and mostly open forest for camping." - Started by lightning - The White Sage Fire was also started by lightning, during a thunderstorm on July 9. "Crews encountered very extreme fire behavior due to the dry conditions (and) gusty and erratic winds inhibiting the ability for fire fighters to safely engage the fire," the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said. One of the greatest wonders of the natural world, the Grand Canyon is the result of the Colorado River eating away at layers of red sandstone and other rock for millions of years, leaving a gash up to 18 miles (30 km) wide and more than a mile (1.6 km) deep. Park Service advised against any hiking into the canyon, due to extreme heat and wildfire smoke. A 67-year-old man died on Tuesday while attempting to reach the river in hot conditions. Last year almost five million people visited the world-famous site. Another popular site, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, was also closed Friday because of a wildfire. rfo-bgs-ksb/aks
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
CWG Live updates: Standard July with heat and storm chances this weekend
Welcome to updated around-the-clock by Capital Weather Gang meteorologists. Happening now: If you like July weather, this one's for you. Highs around 90, plenty of humidity and a couple late-day storms. What's next? A better chance of showers and storms Sunday may keep everyone below 90. We are near and above that mark into next week. Today's daily digit — 6/10: Probably a touch less comfortable than yesterday, which means heat indexes in the mid- to upper 90s in the afternoon. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Saturday): Mostly to partly sunny with some of those bubbly afternoon clouds. A couple of storms could form in the late-day heat, especially west of the city. Highs reach the upper 80s to lower 90s in most spots. Winds are light out of the southeast. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: Any storms die off with sunset. Muggy and warm through the evening, with lows settling in the 70 to 75 range. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow (Sunday): Similar to today, but probably a bit cloudier. Sun gives way to a higher afternoon storm chance. Any storms could produce heavy rain and isolated damaging wind gusts. Temperatures should reach the mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Showers and thunderstorms are possible through late evening, ending by the early overnight. Maybe some patchy fog with lows again largely 70 to 75. Confidence: Medium-High A look ahead Showers and storms are a good bet Monday. With a front closer to the region, activity might be more widespread than prior days. With the high humidity in place, downpours are again a threat. Highs should mainly end up in the mid-80s. Confidence: Medium Sunnier again Tuesday with lower odds of storms. This summer, you can never bet against a storm or two, though. Highs mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium Near and above 90 should be the rule Wednesday through Friday. Nothing extreme, but pretty standard midsummer. Confidence: Medium Today's daily digit — 6/10: Probably a touch less comfortable than yesterday, which means heat indexes in the mid- to upper 90s in the afternoon. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Saturday): Mostly to partly sunny with some of those bubbly afternoon clouds. A couple of storms could form in the late-day heat, especially west of the city. Highs reach the upper 80s to lower 90s in most spots. Winds are light out of the southeast. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: Any storms die off with sunset. Muggy and warm through the evening, with lows settling in the 70 to 75 range. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow (Sunday): Similar to today, but probably a bit cloudier. Sun gives way to a higher afternoon storm chance. Any storms could produce heavy rain and isolated damaging wind gusts. Temperatures should reach the mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Showers and thunderstorms are possible through late evening, ending by the early overnight. Maybe some patchy fog with lows again largely 70 to 75. Confidence: Medium-High A look ahead Showers and storms are a good bet Monday. With a front closer to the region, activity might be more widespread than prior days. With the high humidity in place, downpours are again a threat. Highs should mainly end up in the mid-80s. Confidence: Medium Sunnier again Tuesday with lower odds of storms. This summer, you can never bet against a storm or two, though. Highs mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium Near and above 90 should be the rule Wednesday through Friday. Nothing extreme, but pretty standard midsummer. Confidence: Medium
