Gov. Greg Abbott activates emergency resources ahead of possible flooding, storms this weekend
There is a chance of severe weather across the state this weekend.
The National Weather Service says there is a chance for flash flooding and even tornadoes.
Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources with increased threats of severe weather and flash flooding across the state this weekend.
Why you should care
Heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding in North Texas and across the state starting tonight and going through Saturday.
Severe storms could bring hail, strong winds and even tornadoes.
Some areas in the Panhandle could see snowfall this weekend.
On Friday, Gov. Abbott activated more than 700 emergency responders and 300 pieces of equipment across the state to be ready for any severe weather.
The resources will go in place to help local units.
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2): Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads, and Flood Water Boat Squads
Texas Division of Emergency Management: The State of Texas Incident Management Team, Incident Support Task Force, Disaster Recovery Task Force, and regional personnel to support deployed emergency response resources across the state
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, rescue boat teams, and helicopters with hoist capability to assist with flood rescues
Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capabilities, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, and the Tactical Marine Unit
Texas National Guard: Personnel and high-profile vehicles to assist stranded motorists
Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): Local, state, and out of state firefighters and support personnel, fire engines, bulldozers, and motor graders; federally contracted firefighting aircraft, including large air tankers for retardant drops, single-engine air tankers for water drops, air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, helicopters with firefighting capability, fire bosses and an aerial supervision module for aerial guidance
Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather and Wildland Fire Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as County Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs
Texas Animal Health Commission: Coordinating animal resource needs
Texas Department of Agriculture: Coordinating agricultural resource needs
Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions and pretreating roadways
Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers
Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state's natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Personnel to provide information on available services through the 2-1-1 Texas Information Referral Network
Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructure
The Source
Information in this article comes from the FOX 4 Weather team and the Office of Governor Greg Abbott.
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County officials: 'Safety of lives is the highest priority' Most search and recovery operations along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County were suspended. Rescue personnel, equipment, and vehicles "should be removed from the river area immediately," county officials said in social media posts earlier Sunday. The Kerr County Sheriff's Office later said recovery teams could resume efforts in West Kerr. The sheriff's office noted that a flood watch remained in effect for the area. The flood watch was issued for Hill Country, the I-35 corridor, and the Southern Edwards Plateau, according to the National Weather Service office in Austin and San Antonio. The agency warned that excessive runoff may result in dangerous flash flooding of low-lying areas, rivers, and creeks, and low water crossings. "Monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings," the sheriff's office advised in an update. Noem says new FEMA rules did not delay response Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday defended FEMA's response to the floods, saying this is the fastest in years that resources were deployed to help in a natural disaster. Noem, appearing on NBC News' "Meet the Press," denied that a memo she issued in June requiring her approval of all FEMA expenditures over $100,000 had slowed the agency's reaction to the tragedy. She also denied claims that FEMA call centers were not fully staffed. "Those claims are absolutely false," Noem said. "Within just an hour or two after the flooding, we had resources from the Department of Homeland Security there." Matthew Stone, who was clearing a storm sewer near his Kerrville home overlooking the Guadalupe River on Sunday, told the Associated Press that he had to pull his older neighbors from their home when floods hit on the Fourth of July. He said he hoped the situation did not become that drastic with the latest rains. Authorities in Kerr County have come under scrutiny over the timing of warnings and alerts prior to the July 4 floods. Stone said it was not an issue Sunday. 'We'll be all right,' he said. 'The cops have been coming back and forth. We're getting lots of alerts, we're getting a lot of support.' 'Sounds from that night will stay with us forever' In Ingram, six miles east of Kerrville, the fire department posted a synopsis of what life has been like since the floodwaters began roaring across the region in the pre-dawn hours of the Fourth of July. "It all began in the quiet of the early morning hours −3:15 a.m. − when we found ourselves pounding on doors, shouting into the dark, begging families to leave before it was too late," the Ingram Fire Department posted on social media, adding that "some families were able to make it out in time. Some didn't have the chance. And for others, the help came too late. "The sounds from that night − the screams, the rushing water, the calls for help − will stay with us forever. No training prepares you for the weight of witnessing so much loss. No uniform shields your heart from the human toll." Since then, "everything has been a blur," the post continues. Search efforts continue and won't stop "until every person is accounted for. We owe them that. We owe their families that." The item concludes with a request. "Please don't forget Ingram. Kerrville. Hunt. Center Point. Kerr County. We're still here. We're still fighting. And we're still holding on to hope." Kerr County braces for more rain The Kerr County death toll has risen to 70 adults and 36 children, according to the county's Joint Information Center. That includes at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp. Scores of residents remain missing, although it was not clear how many might have fled to safety ahead of the disaster. And officials were bracing for more flooding issues. "There is an increasing confidence that rainfall totals of 1-3 inches could fall on what is already saturated ground," the county said in a statement on its website. The statement urged residents to watch for weather service alerts and to "stay safe out there." 'Mystic Girls' mourn camp kids, counselors who died The deaths at the camp has stunned and saddened the world. The mourners include the "Mystic Girls," as former campers call themselves. They remember the innocence of a place and time where they say they found the best version of themselves, a place that made them who they are. Allie Coates, now 25 and a social media manager in Los Angeles, still has a silver bracelet filled with charms from her time at camp, including an M for the most improved at canoeing. 'It was a safe space to be weird and awkward, where we could be silly and just be ourselves,' Coates told USA TODAY. 'Just to be girls.' Read more here. − Laura Trujillo Timeline a mystery for recovery of remains Past disasters of similar scope have left families waiting for months, years and even decades to recover loved ones, said Chris Boyer, executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue. He pointed to Hurricane Helene, where at least five people, including Yevhenni and Novitnia, were never found. And two decades after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, killing more than 1,800 people, about 30 have yet to be identified, said Jason Melancon of the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office. For authorities on the ground, deciding when to call off search parties or shift them into full recovery mode is 'a highly emotional decision,' especially in more rural areas, Boyer said. 'There's no describing how to tell a family that you're done searching for their loved one and that they may never get the remains back,' said Boyer, who has led recovery crews in aviation disasters. Read more here.
