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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
As questions mount over Texas floods, a key decision-maker remains silent
KERRVILLE, Texas — Before the flash flooding in Texas' Hill Country materialized in the early hours of July 4, Kerr County's most senior elected official said he had no inkling of the pending disaster that would sweep away structures and set off harrowing rescues across the region. 'We didn't know this flood was coming,' County Judge Rob Kelly said at a news conference later that morning, in response to why summer camps along the rain-swollen Guadalupe River weren't evacuated earlier, before many were missing or feared dead. 'We do not have a warning system,' he added, referring to the sirens along the river in other counties, used to notify of imminent flooding. The following day, at a news conference with Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials, Kelly said of the preparedness effort: 'It's just Hill Country, and we didn't know.' In Texas, the county judge serves many functions in addition to judicial duties, including serving as the head of emergency management and handling many administrative functions in the county. But with a death toll surpassing 100 people — 67 adults and 36 children in Kerr County alone — and at least 166 still unaccounted for as of Friday, county officials are facing questions about what actions were taken ahead of the flooding and who was in command and communicating with the National Weather Service, particularly once the agency issued its first flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Efforts to reach Kelly this week, including by phone and at the emergency operations center, his office and his home, were unsuccessful. He hasn't spoken publicly since his appearances at news conferences in the immediate aftermath of the flood. In addition, William 'Dub' Thomas, Kerr County's emergency management coordinator, has not spoken publicly and did not return repeated requests for comment. He also could not be reached at the emergency operations center or his home. Thomas, who has been the county's top emergency coordinator since 2015, is responsible for its emergency management plan, the emergency notification system known as CodeRed, its search and rescue team and other disaster-related duties, according to the Rotary Club of Kerrville website. Previously, while working for the Texas Department of Public Safety, Thomas helped direct the state's response to several catastrophic events, including the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Kelly, a Republican who first took office in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022, has worked as a commercial litigation attorney and, in his role as county judge, he oversees Kerr County's four-person commission and its budget. Kelly was a certified member of the Kerr County Community Emergency Response Team, according to a bio on the Rotary Club of Kerville website. 'I truly believe God has been preparing me for this position all my life,' Kelly said in The Kerrville Daily Times in 2017 about running for the county judge before the election. 'I didn't go looking for this job, it came looking for me.' Tom Pollard, the former county judge Kelly replaced, said that in any major event, such as a disaster that requires an evacuation, the emergency management coordinator is in charge but takes direction from the county judge. 'The buck stops with the county judge's office, but the management director handles it and just gets going,' Pollard said. 'And he'll talk to a county judge every now and then, and if there's a decision that needs to be made, he'll consult with the judge who makes a decision.' Pollard said neither he nor his wife received emergency notifications on their phone in the early morning of the flooding. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said Tuesday on MSNBC that he saw no emergency alerts and was awakened only by a call from City Manager Dalton Rice at 5:30 a.m. By daybreak, the Guadalupe River had risen 26 feet in 45 minutes, according to sensor data. Just after 4 a.m., the National Weather Service had upgraded its flash flood warning to an emergency for Kerr County, advising that it was a 'PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!' Facebook posts from Kerrville police were posted after 5 a.m. regarding 'life threatening' flooding, but it's unclear whether officials were communicating with residents in other ways before then. Whether emergency alerts around that time would have been received on all phones is unclear. Spotty cell service or none at all is not uncommon in parts of the county, northwest of San Antonio. Others may not have had their phones with them, like the young girls who were staying at Camp Mystic in the unincorporated community of Hunt, where officials say at least 27 campers and staff members died. Federal Emergency Management Agency records obtained by NBC Dallas-Fort Worth show that Kerr County officials didn't use its Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, or IPAWS, to send warnings with safety instructions to all cellphones in the affected area the day of the flooding. As the water began rising in Kerr County, the National Weather Service delivered an IPAWS flood warning to phones as early as 1:14 a.m., NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported. However, it's up to county or city officials in general to send more urgent instructions, including whether to evacuate. Some families said they received a CodeRed alert from Kerr County, which is similar to an IPAWS message and can be sent via the sheriff's office. But the program allows people to opt out, meaning not everyone receives it. Dispatch audio obtained by NBC affiliate KXAN in Austin includes an Ingram volunteer firefighter asking a county sheriff dispatcher at 4:22 a.m. if they can 'send a CodeRed out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?' The dispatcher responds: 'We have to get that approved with our supervisor.' It's unclear at what times CodeRed alerts were supposed to be sent. KXAN reported that one person near the flooded area said they received a voicemail at 1:14 a.m. from a number traced back to CodeRed, while another area resident received a CodeRed alert at 5:34 a.m. about the National Weather Service's 'flash flood warning,' suggesting inconsistencies among recipients countywide. The National Weather Service's San Antonio office did not immediately return a request for comment Friday about any communications it may have had with Kerr County. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference Wednesday that his priority remains search and rescue efforts, but noted there would be an 'after-action' review of what happened on July 4. 'We'll get them,' Leitha said. 'I can't tell you when — in a week or two, OK? We're going to get them.' Raymond Howard, a council member in Ingram, another city in Kerr County, said he has a host of questions for county officials to investigate once the rescue efforts are exhausted, from preventative measures they plan to take going forward to the timing of emergency alerts. 'I did not get a CodeRed,' Howard said, 'and I'm signed up for CodeRed.' What's needed for the future, he said, is better planning and communication. 'It's too late for the victims and everything that's happened already, but for future floods, we can do something,' Howard said. 'It will happen again.' Minyvonne Burke reported from Kerrville and Erik Ortiz from New York. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sheriff hints at ‘after action' review, as records reveal warning of ‘worst-case flood event'
KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Local officials in Kerr County continue facing public scrutiny after days of seeming to deflect questions about their preparedness and response to the July 4 flash flood that left dozens dead. The attention comes, as records reviewed by KXAN reveal leaders determined in 2024 that the county likely 'will experience a flood event in the next year.' On Wednesday, during a morning press conference, they updated the death count to 95 with 161 people still missing. While again avoiding answers about specific actions in the hours between weather warnings and the Guadalupe River rising 30 feet, Sheriff Larry Leitha said there would be an 'after-action' review following his 'priority' of notifying victims' families. 'We will answer those questions,' Leitha told reporters. 'I wish y'all would bear with me on that, okay? Bear with me. We'll get them. I can't tell you when – in a week or two, okay? We're gonna get them.' The sheriff also assured answers for 'the people that put me in this office' regarding concerns over the county's CodeRED alerts – which allow subscribers to receive emergency notifications to their mobile devices. The effectiveness of the alerts has surfaced during press events, along with the revelation that Kerr County has no system of warning devices – like sirens – to alert the public, despite a decade of failed attempts to fund and install such a system. Officials, like County Judge Rob Kelly, have maintained they 'did not know this flood was coming,' though the National Weather Service issued a flood watch Thursday – the day before the disaster. It also issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Friday, still hours before the river hit its height. The county has not fully explained the timing of evacuations. At 5:31 a.m., it made an initial post on Facebook: 'Be safe and move to higher ground. Do not drive through water. Turn Around – Don't Drown!' A minute later, the sheriff's office also reposted NWS information on its own Facebook page, adding: 'If you are near the water, move to higher ground immediately. Stay clear of low water crossings – turn around, don't drown!' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has also said the Texas Division of Emergency Management communicated directly with county judges and city mayors about the weather forecast the day before the flood. At Wednesday's press conference, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr., said he 'did not receive a telephone call' and did not know what resources TDEM had in place. He did not confirm if Kelly was part of any call. 'I wasn't invited to the call,' Herring said. 'Maybe I'm not a local mayor. I can't tell.' KXAN has requested a response on those claims and also a record of communication between local leaders, the NWS, TDEM and other state officials – along with any emergency notifications made – to better understand decisions regarding communication and their public warnings. 'This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States, and we deal with floods on a regular basis – when it rains, we get water,' Kelly said Friday. 'We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what has happened here, none whatsoever.' But a KXAN review of the county's most recent hazard mitigation plan shows officials there have known for years flooding was a major threat in the area – and was getting worse. Under the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, the county is required to have a Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan in order to be eligible for certain pre- and post-disaster mitigation funds. The latest 220-page plan was formally adopted by Kelly and county commissioners and then submitted to FEMA this April. REVIEW: 2024 Kerr County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan Stakeholders in the plan included the county, the cities of Ingram and Kerrville, the Kerrville Independent School District, the Kerrville Public Utility Board and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority. Representatives compiling the plan included both Kerr County and Kerrville's emergency management coordinator, Kerrville's fire chief and the UGRA general manager. The group met twice, beginning in March 2024, and conducted public outreach in May and October that year. Their research included historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the county's previous hazard mitigation plan from 2018 and flood damage prevention ordinances for the county, Kerrville and Ingram each – which identified building requirements and restrictions for structures in the floodplain. Kerr County's emergency management coordinator, William B. 'Dub' Thomas – who has held the post since November 2015 but has not been a primary part of any public appearance or press event since last week's flood – is responsible for the 'continued coordination and monitoring of the mitigation plan' during its 5-year duration. At that point, the planning team is supposed to re-evaluate and update the document, giving members an opportunity to 'identify recent losses due to natural hazards and to consider whether any of those losses could have been avoided.' Thomas has not responded to KXAN's inquiries. The plan notes under 'likelihood of future events,' the group 'determined it is likely that Kerr County and participating jurisdictions will experience a flood event in the next year, meaning an event is probable in the next three years.' The plan detailed at least 106 'flood occurrences' dating back to 1960, including the two most recently listed in 2018 – both flash floods with no injuries, fatalities or property damage. It also noted recent flooding events throughout the county have resulted in up to 10 inches of flood water and that future 'worst-case flood events' could exceed those depths. A section on 'impact' said that could include: Residents temporarily losing power due to downed power lines; Motorists and residents being left stranded and needed rescue; Structures being flooded, damaged or even completely washed away; Roads being washed out; Emergency care centers having limited access. While unlikely, the danger from a 500-year flood – which has a 0.2% chance of occurring in any given year – was described as 'not negligible' in the plan. It also mentioned climate change could make the river flooding more frequent. Among the plan's main goals was reducing loss of life and injury, with specific objectives including: Improving the delivery and effectiveness of warning messages; Reducing obstacles to timely and safe evacuation of flood hazard areas. Related to the county's previous mitigation plan from 2018, the updated plan identified actions yet to be implemented – or in progress – but still necessary, including: Creating a program to educate the public about specific mitigation actions for all hazards (in progress; medium priority; estimated cost – less than $10,000 per hazard) Proposing a local flood warning system to reduce the potential impacts of future flood events (deferred to plan update; medium priority; estimated cost – less that $1 million) KXAN is awaiting a response from the county about the status of the plan's implementation and whether it was followed during last week's flood. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Greg Abbott Was Asked Who's To Blame For The Texas Floods, And His Response Is Going Viral For Being "Tone-Deaf" And "Insane"
Central Texas is continuing to deal with the devastating fallout of massive flash floods as deaths continue to mount, and at least 173 people remain missing. Related: Since Friday, the media and citizens across the country have demanded answers as to why there was not a county-wide siren system in place to warn Texans of the flood, which could have potentially saved lives. According to AP News, Kerr County's top elected official said that the county had considered implementing a tornado-like siren for floods years ago. Still, the idea never came to fruition due to costs. "We've looked into it public reeled at the cost," Judge Rob Kelly said. On Fox News, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick also admitted that flood warnings were issued via text for those who "signed up," forcing some residents to warn each other. "There were alert warnings that went out, we believe, by the locals. But if you were a resident and you signed up for it, you got it. But, if you happen to be a stranger who just came in for the Fourth of July weekend, you might not have had that [warning]." Well, Texas Governor Greg Abbott was confronted directly by a reporter who asked him who was to blame for the tragedy, and his comments are going viral: CNN / Twitter: @Acyn Related: "You ask, I'm going to use your words: 'Who's to blame?' Know this. That's the word choice of losers." "Let me explain one thing about Texas. And that is, Texas, every square inch of our state cares about football. You can be in Hunt, Texas, Huntsville, Texas, Houston, Texas, any size community, they care about football. High school Friday night lights, college football, or pro." Related: "Every football team makes mistakes. The losing teams are the ones who try to point out who is to blame. The championship teams are the ones who say, 'Don't worry about it, man, we got this.' We're going to make sure that we go score again and we're gonna win this game. The way winners talk is not to point fingers. They talk about solutions." In response to the clip, people have been ripping into Abbott for his "callousness" during a tragedy. "You don't get to play the 'everyone makes mistakes' card when this was avoidable," another person wrote. "Nothing says strong leadership like using a football analogy to downplay the death of dozens of children," this person wrote. Related: This person pointed out the Texas government's unwillingness to use budget money on a siren alert system. "Calling people losers for wanting answers and making a fucking football analogy when 100+ people are dead and 160+ are missing is insane. Fuck him and his wannabe tr*mp ass," this person wrote. This user called Abbott's analogy "tone-deaf." What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hills, rivers and rocky terrain: Why the Hill Country keeps flooding
When floodwaters tore through the Texas Hill Country on July Fourth weekend, killing more than 100 people — including campers and counselors at an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River — Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly was quick to voice shock. 'We didn't know this flood was coming,' Kelly said. Yet in nearly the same breath, he acknowledged that the region is 'the most dangerous river valley in the United States' — one that deals with floods 'on a regular basis.' That contradiction — an expectation of danger paired with apparent surprise — has become tragically familiar in Central Texas. Despite being part of a wide swath of Texas nicknamed 'Flash Flood Alley,' this part of the Hill Country continues to suffer devastating losses — both in human lives and property — after floods that scientists and emergency planners have warned about for decades. The region includes several Texas river basins: the Colorado, the Guadalupe and the San Antonio. Between 2 and 7 a.m. July 4, the Guadalupe River in Kerrville rose 35 feet, according to a flood gauge in the area. The flooded river swallowed roads, bridges, entire RV parks and structures along the Guadalupe's banks. The region has a history drenched in loss, marked by some of the state's most deadly floods. Nearly a century ago in 1932, hard rains pushed the Guadalupe River out of its banks. That destructive flooding drowned seven people and property losses exceeded $500,000 — equivalent to $11.8 million today. A blog post by Kerrville Mayor Joe H. Herring Jr. recounted the story of a teen trapped in a tree for 23 hours during that flood and the men that tried to save him. 'The story of July 1, 1932 is a story of warning, and a story with heroes,' Herring wrote. In 1978, a tropical storm stalled over the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Medina Rivers. The resulting flood drowned 33 people, causing millions of dollars in property damages, ravaging roads, bridges and ranchland. Less than a decade later, in 1987, an intense summer storm dumped about 11.5 inches of rain in mid-July near the headwaters of the Guadalupe River, sending a massive flood wave through Ingram, Kerrville and Comfort. As the wall of water rushed through a church camp near Comfort, a bus and a van attempted to evacuate campers but stalled in rapidly rising water. Ten teenagers drowned and 33 other people were injured — a tragedy that some officials alluded to in recent days when defending the lack of evacuations before the July 4 flood. Most recently, on Memorial Day weekend in 2015, heavy rainfall upstream on the Blanco River caused flash flooding in Wimberley, uprooting centuries-old trees and damaging or destroying nearly 400 homes along its banks, displacing hundreds of residents. The river rose approximately 5 feet every 15 minutes, cresting near 50 feet. Thirteen people died in the flood. 'People new to the area may not know the history. The climate doesn't look like a place where flooding happens often. It's hot, semi-arid. It's deceptive,' said Todd Votteler, a longtime water policy expert and former executive manager at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. As water expert and environmental consultant Matthew Berg put it: 'Rivers have a lot longer memory than we do.' People are drawn to the Texas Hill Country for its natural beauty. It's a place where families camp under starry skies, fish in spring-fed creeks, and cool off in deep swimming holes carved into limestone. But the very features that make this region so appealing — its hills, rivers, and rocky terrain — also make it one of the most flood-prone areas in the country. On topographical maps, the terrain resembled elephant skin, with countless folds worn into the hills by centuries of runoff. The hilly land has dramatic elevation changes caused by the Balcones Escarpment, a major geological feature that cuts across Central Texas. Tropical storms routinely hit the escarpment and dump heavy rain, said Avantika Gori, a flood risk expert and civil and environmental engineering professor at Rice University. Last week, the storms that caused the flash floods in the Hill Country were intensified by the moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry. And when storms roll in, water rushes downhill fast, gaining speed and force as it moves. There's little to slow it down — thin, rocky soil doesn't absorb much water, and exposed bedrock and sparse vegetation offer no buffer. Clay-rich soils in parts of the region also prevent infiltration, meaning rain turns to runoff almost immediately. 'It's like the region's been paved over with concrete,' said Gori. 'So the water falls, and it just runs off. And then, because of the steep slope, you get these really fast-moving waves of water.' Robert Mace, a hydrologist and executive director of the Meadows Center at Texas State University, calls it 'a recipe for catastrophic floods.' On July 4, the floods struck at perhaps the worst possible moment — in the early morning hours at the start of a holiday weekend that had drawn large numbers of people to the river. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Thursday afternoon, predicting isolated rainfall of up to seven inches. It issued a flash flood warning that included Kerr County after 1 a.m. Friday, when most people were asleep, and declared a flash flood emergency — the most severe alert possible — around 4 a.m. 'Many storms form at night,' said Votteler, the water policy expert. The huge loss of life from Friday's flood — which is likely to grow higher with at least two dozen people still missing in several counties — has raised new questions about what local, state and federal officials could have or should have done to better warn people near the river. John Nielsen-Gammon, the state's climatologist, said the severity of storms is also changing. Climate change has caused warmer air that can hold more water, leading to more intense rainfall. Ocean heat fuels stronger tropical systems. Mace, the hydrologist, said what was once a 500-year flood is increasingly happening every few decades. 'Floodplain maps are based on historical data,' said Mace. 'They don't reflect the current — or future — risk. It's backward-looking in a forward-moving crisis.' Disclosure: Rice University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Greg Abbott's Viral Football Analogy About Texas Floods
Central Texas is continuing to deal with the devastating fallout of massive flash floods as deaths continue to mount, and at least 119 people remain missing. Since Friday, the media and citizens across the country have demanded answers as to why there was not a county-wide siren system in place to warn Texans of the flood, which could have potentially saved lives. Kerr County's top elected official, Judge Rob Kelly, recently said that the county had considered implementing a tornado-like siren for floods years ago. Still, the idea never came to fruition due to costs. "We've looked into it public reeled at the cost," Judge Rob Kelly said. On Fox News, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick also admitted that flood warnings were issued via text for those who "signed up," forcing some residents to warn each other. "There were alert warnings that went out, we believe, by the locals. But if you were a resident and you signed up for it, you got it. But, if you happen to be a stranger who just came in for the Fourth of July weekend, you might not have had that [warning]." "You ask, I'm going to use your words: 'Who's to blame?' Know this. That's the word choice of losers." "Let me explain one thing about Texas. And that is, Texas, every square inch of our state cares about football. You can be in Hunt, Texas, Huntsville, Texas, Houston, Texas, any size community, they care about football. High school Friday night lights, college football, or pro." "Every football team makes mistakes. The losing teams are the ones who try to point out who is to blame. The championship teams are the ones who say, 'Don't worry about it, we got this.' We're going to make sure that we go score again and we're gonna win this game. The way winners talk is not to point fingers. They talk about solutions." In response to the clip, people have been ripping into Abbott for his "callousness" during a tragedy. "You don't get to play the 'everyone makes mistakes' card when this was avoidable," another person wrote. "Nothing says strong leadership like using a football analogy to downplay the death of dozens of children," this person wrote. This person pointed out the Texas government's unwillingness to use budget money on a siren alert system. This user called Abbott's analogy "insane." What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
