Texas county deflects mounting questions over actions before deadly flood
At a series of briefings since the flooding on July 4, Kerr County officials have deflected a series of pointed questions about preparations and warnings as forecasters warned of life-threatening conditions.
The county in the scenic Texas Hill Country is home to several summer camps, including Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp that announced Monday it lost at least 27 campers and counselors.
'Today's not the day and now's not the time to discuss the warnings, who got them, who didn't got them. Right now I'm only worried about public safety,' Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday during an emergency session of the county commissioners court.
Dalton Rice, the city manager of Kerrville, said Monday that authorities were reluctant to 'cry wolf' and order evacuations, adding that rainfall 'significantly' exceeded the projected amounts. He said officials had little time to react in the middle of the night, adding that qualified first responders were being 'swept away' driving through the initial rainfall.
'This rose very quickly in a very short amount of time,' Rice said.
Dire weather service warnings
In the 48 hours before the floods, the potential for heavy rains put precautions in motion as the state activated an emergency response plan and moved resources into the central Texas area.
The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Friday to mobile phones and weather radios, more than three hours before the first reports of flooding at low-water crossings in Kerr County at 4:35 a.m. The warning was updated at 4:03 a.m. to a flash-flood emergency.
The warning included Hunt, the small town that's home to Camp Mystic. Girls who were rescued from the camp have said they were woken up after midnight by strong storms that knocked out power. Bright flashes from lightning strikes showed the river rising rapidly.
It was not immediately clear what kind of evacuation plans Camp Mystic might have had.
'Flash flood alley'
Local officials have known for decades that flooding posed serious risk to life and property in the region, and a county government report last year warned the threat was getting worse.
Kerr County's hazard mitigation action plan reported at least 106 'flood occurrences' dating back to 1960. Local officials determined that another flood was likely in the next year and that 'future worst-case flood events' could be more severe than those of the past.
The risk of a 500-year flood was 'not negligible' and could lead to downed power lines, stranded residents and buildings that were damaged 'or even completely washed away,' the report warned. Climate change could make the river flooding more frequent, it noted.
The region has known significant tragedy. A 1987 flood after a heavy rain prompted the evacuation of a youth camp in the town of Comfort. A wall of water quickly swamped buses and vans. Ten teenagers died.
Decades later, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, which manages the river watershed, released a video to YouTube titled 'Be Flood Aware 2017.'
Viewed over 40,000 times online, the video outlines the history of the Guadalupe River, its history of tragic flooding and ways the public can remain safe when floodwaters rise.
'Terrain here is unique for flash flooding,' the video noted. It mentioned the dangers of a significant rainfall near the river's headwaters near Camp Mystic.
The video noted the shallow headwaters with limestone underneath the riverbed.
'If you get 3 or 4 inches of rain at one time, that can be a real serious problem,' the video warned.
The storm that hit last Friday dumped more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) on the area in three hours. The river rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.
In January 2017, the Kerr County Commissioners Court unanimously approved an application for a $975,00 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a flood warning system, according to transcripts of the meeting.
Less than a year later, commissioners learned the grant was not approved. Most of that funding went to communities hit by Hurricane Harvey.
Calls for an alarm
The river authority has cited the need to develop a flood warning system in Kerr County as a top priority in its last three annual strategic plans.
Kerr County commissioners considered several years ago a proposal for a flood warning system similar to sirens used for tornadoes in other parts of the country, including in nearby Comal County, which includes part of the Guadalupe River.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who was not on the commission at the time but attended meetings, said the warning system idea was shelved because residents 'reeled at the cost.'
Nicole Wilson, a San Antonio mother who took her daughters out of a neighboring hill country camp ahead of the flooding amid concerns about its evacuation plans, said county leaders need to push for one.
Wilson launched an online petition calling for Kerr County to install flooding warning sirens to alert in real time. She plans to present the signatures to Gov. Greg Abbott when lawmakers convene in a special session July 23.
She called a siren system 'almost a no-brainer.'
'I'm sure those children expected at any moment that an adult was going to rescue them,' she said. 'I don't think there can be much more heartbreak than that, and so if there's a way to prevent it, it needs to be implemented quickly.'
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Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Timeline raises questions over how Texas officials handled warnings before the deadly July 4 flood
Officials in Texas are facing mounting questions about whether they did enough to get people out of harm's way before a flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River and killed more than 100 people, including 27 children and counselors at an all-girls Christian camp. More than 160 people are still believed to be missing in Texas days after flash floods killed over 100 people during the July Fourth weekend, the state's governor said Tuesday. In the days since the devastation, state, federal and Kerr County officials have deflected pointed questions about preparations and warnings. The Associated Press has assembled an approximate timeline of the 48 hours before, during and after the deadly flash flood, beginning with the activation of the state's emergency response resources on July 2 — the same day Texas signed off on the camp's emergency plan for disasters. By daybreak on July Fourth, it was clear that some children from Camp Mystic were swept away by floodwaters even as others were able to escape to safety in their pajamas. ___ Wednesday, July 2: The Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state emergency response resources anticipating the threat of flooding in parts of West and Central Texas. On the same day, Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning, records obtained by the AP show. Thursday, July 3: 10:00 a.m.: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday that county judges and city mayors were invited to be on a daily call Thursday to discuss weather forecasts. Patrick also said a regional coordinator personally reached out to officials in the area. '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.' 1:18 p.m.: The National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office issued a flood watch estimating rainfall amounts of one to three inches, with isolated amounts of five to seven inches for parts of south central Texas, including Kerr County. 'Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,' the alert read. Friday, July 4: 1:14 a.m.: Citing radar, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central Kerr County until 4:15 a.m., warning that it was life threatening. Around 3:00 a.m.: Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said he was running on the river trail around 3 or 3:30 a.m. Friday and 'everything was fine.' 'Four o'clock when I left, there was no signs of it rising at that point,' Rice said during a news conference later. 'This happened very quickly over a very short amount of time.' Rice said the isolated location and the heavy rain in a short period of time made a dangerous event that was not predictable, even with radar and National Weather Service warnings. 'This is not like a tornado where you can have a siren. This is not like a hurricane where you're planning weeks in advance,' Rice said. 'It hit. It hit hard.' Between 3 and 5 a.m.: Floodwaters begin to inundate Camp Mystic. Young campers, counselors and staff are roused from sleep and begin a desperate rush to higher ground, according to social media accounts. The accounts detail how some young girls had to climb through cabin windows. One staffer said she was on the roof with water rising toward her at 4:00 a.m. 3:30 a.m.: Erin Burgess woke up to thunder at around 3:30 a.m. Friday in her home in Bumble Bee Hills, a housing development about halfway between Hunt and Ingram. Within a half hour or so, she told the AP that the water was rushing into her house. Burgess and her 19-year-old son clung onto a tree outside for an hour before the water receded. 3:35 a.m.: The National Weather Service extended its flash flood warning for central Kerr County until 7 a.m. based on radar and automated gauges. 3:35 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge along the Guadalupe River about five miles north of Camp Mystic and about a mile east of Hunt shows the river had reached nearly 16 feet. The river at that location is subject to minor flooding at 10 feet. Between 4 and 5 a.m.: Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said he was first notified about the situation from one of his sergeants. 4:03 a.m.: The National Weather Service named a flash flood emergency for south-central Kerr County, saying in all caps that it was a 'particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!' Citing radar and automated rain gauges, the bulletin said low water crossings and the Guadalupe River at Hunt were flooding. 4:35 a.m.: A U,S, Geological Survey gauge along the Guadalupe River about five miles north of Camp Mystic and about a mile east of Hunt stops sending data. The last recorded river level from the instrumentation was 29.5 feet. 5:30 a.m.: Police knocked on Matthew Stone's door in a Kerrville riverfront neighborhood, urging residents to evacuate. Stone said he had received no emergency warning on his phone. 'We got no emergency alert. There was nothing,' Stone said. Then: 'a pitch black wall of death.' 5:34 a.m.: The National Weather Service bulletin reported a flash flood emergency from Hunt through Kerrville and Center Point, saying 'automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River.' 5:38 a.m.: In a comment on a Facebook post from the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, one woman begged for someone to help her mother-in-law who was trapped in a trailer between Hunt and Ingram. 5:52 a.m.: Minutes later, another woman commented on the same Facebook post that Bumble Bee Hills was flooded and needed help. 6:06 a.m.: The National Weather Service extended the flash flood warning until 10:00 a.m. The bulletin also said local law enforcement reported 'major flooding' and water rescues along the Guadalupe River. 6:19 a.m.: Another Facebook commenter on the Kerr County Sheriff's page said a 'friend and her family are on their rooftop in Hunt, waiting for rescue.' 6:45 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge in Kerrville shows the Guadalupe River peaks at 34.29 feet, a figure that is preliminary and subject to change. It is the third-highest river level at that location, according to the data. The record of 39 feet was set on July 2, 1932, 6:59 a.m.: Erin Burgess was surveying damage in her flooded home after the river water receded. The line of muck reached halfway up her kitchen cabinets. 7:24 a.m.: The National Weather Service advises that the flash flood emergency extends to Sisterdale. 11:29 a.m.: Camp Mystic parents receive an email noting the grounds have 'sustained catastrophic level floods' and that they are without power, water and internet. Parents with a daughter not accounted for were directly contacted, the camp said. 11:30 a.m.: Local officials held the first press conference to describe the situation and response. Asked what kind of warning system went out to make sure county residents got out safely, Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official said: 'We do not have a warning system.' When a reporter followed up to ask why camps weren't evacuated when the camps were in harm's way, Kelly said they didn't know 'this flood' was coming. 'We had no reason to believe that this was going to be any, anything like what's happened here,' Kelly said. 'None whatsoever.' 3:30 p.m.: Two news conferences on Friday afternoon were the first to offer an initial death toll. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said six to 10 bodies had been found so far. Around the same time, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported that 13 people had died in the flooding. Patrick also announced that the whereabouts of about 23 girls attending Camp Mystic were not known. 7:11 p.m.: A state agency responsible for search and rescue operations, the Texas Game Wardens, post on Facebook that they made entry into Camp Mystic and 'are evacuating the campers to safety.' Roughly two dozen campers were still missing. 9 p.m.: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a disaster declaration at a news conference. Leitha reported about 24 fatalities.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
House swept away as flash flooding hits mountain village in New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. — Floodwaters trapped people in their homes and cars Tuesday in a mountain village that is a popular summer retreat in southern New Mexico as monsoon rains triggered flash flooding and an entire house was swept downstream. Emergency crews carried out at least 85 swift water rescues in the Ruidoso area, including of people who were trapped in their homes and cars, said Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. No injuries or deaths were immediately reported, but Silva said the extent of the destruction wouldn't be known until the water recedes. Officials urged residents to seek higher ground in the afternoon as the waters of the Rio Ruidoso rose nearly 19 feet (2.7 meters) in a matter of minutes amid heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings in the area, stripped of nearby vegetation by recent wildfires. A weather service flood gauge and companion video camera showed churning waters of the Rio Ruidoso surge over the river's banks into surrounding forest. Streets and bridges were closed in response. Kaitlyn Carpenter, an artist in Ruidoso, was riding her motorcycle through town Tuesday afternoon when the storm started to pick up, and she sought shelter at the riverside Downshift Brewing Company with about 50 other people. She started to film debris rushing down the Rio Ruidoso when she spotted a house float by with a familiar turquoise door. It belonged to the family of one of her best friends. Her friend's family was not in the house and is safe, she said. 'I've been in that house and have memories in that house, so seeing it come down the river was just pretty heartbreaking,' Carpenter said. 'I just couldn't believe it.' Two National Guard rescue teams and several local teams already were in the area when the flooding began, Silva said, and more Guard teams were expected. The area has been especially vulnerable to flooding since the summer of 2024, when the South Fork and Salt fires raced across tinder-dry forest and destroyed an estimated 1,400 homes and structures. Residents were forced to flee a wall of flames , only to grapple with intense flooding later that summer . 'We know that the water levels seemed to be higher than they were last summer,' Silva said. 'It is a significant amount of water flowing throughout, some it in new areas that didn't flood last year.' Three shelters opened for people who could not return home. The sight brought back painful memories for Carpenter, whose art studio was swept away during a flood last year. Outside, the air smelled of gasoline, and loud crashes could be heard as the river knocked down trees in its path. 'It's pretty terrifying,' she said. Cory State, who works at the Downshift Brewing Company, welcomed in dozens of residents as the river surged and hail pelted the windows. The house floating by was 'just one of the many devastating things about today,' he said.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Officials face questions over preparedness for Texas floods
CNN's Josh Cambell reports on questions over a lack of flood warning signals and lagging investment in river gauges in Kerr County after deadly floods killed over 100 people in Central Texas.
