Latest news with #CaryBurgess
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Kerr County warned of ‘monstrous and devastating flash floods'
AUSTIN (KXAN) — While Kerr County officials say they didn't know how bad the July 4 flooding would be, it warned residents nearly eight years ago to 'be flood aware' about the ongoing potential for 'monstrous and devastating flash floods.' 'The topography is favorable for water to not just stagnate but to rush down rivers, creeks and streams,' said Cary Burgess, a Hill Country meteorologist. 'If you get three or four inches of rain at one time, that could be a real serious problem.' Kerr County received as much as three to four times that, according to reports. In September 2017, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority sounded the alarm in an online video produced with Kerr County and the city of Kerrville warning about the dangers of flash floods and its historical precedent posted to YouTube. The video notes Kerr County, and Central Texas, are 'the most flash flood prone area in the United States by the National Weather Service, often referred to as 'Flash Flood Alley' due to its steep terrain and shallow soil. As Kerr County leaders avoid alert questions, new audio surfaces in CodeRED timeline 'Our area has a history of monstrous and devastating flash floods,' the video said. Like a historic flood in August 1978 that killed at least nine people and another flood in July 1987 that killed 10. 'It rained about 15 inches in a matter of three hours,' Burgess said. In 2016, officials discussed flood warning sirens. According to Kerr County Commissioners' Court meeting minutes, one commissioner said at the time: 'The thought of beautiful Kerr County having these damn sirens going off in the middle of the night, I'm going to have to start drinking again to put up with y'all.' In 2018, the county's request for a $1 million grant for a new flood warning system was rejected. So far, Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William B. 'Dub' Thomas has not said what actions were taken after the first flood alerts came in a week ago. In the 2017 online video, he said it was up to residents to 'heed the warnings' — like not driving across flooded roads. 'It's all about personal accountability,' Thomas said. 'You're responsible for your life, your family's life, the lives of your children.' On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the creation of House and Senate Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding. Lawmakers will look at flood warning systems, emergency communications and relief funding during the upcoming special session. 'In the coming year, and into the next regular legislative session,' Patrick said, 'we will gather all the facts and answer the many questions to which the public demands answers.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Hill
Kerr County warned of ‘monstrous and devastating flash floods'
AUSTIN (KXAN) — While Kerr County officials say they didn't know how bad the July 4 flooding would be, it warned residents nearly eight years ago to 'be flood aware' about the ongoing potential for 'monstrous and devastating flash floods.' 'The topography is favorable for water to not just stagnate but to rush down rivers, creeks and streams,' said Cary Burgess, a Hill Country meteorologist. 'If you get three or four inches of rain at one time, that could be a real serious problem.' Kerr County received as much as three to four times that, according to reports. In September 2017, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority sounded the alarm in an online video produced with Kerr County and the city of Kerrville warning about the dangers of flash floods and its historical precedent posted to YouTube. The video notes Kerr County, and Central Texas, are 'the most flash flood prone area in the United States by the National Weather Service, often referred to as 'Flash Flood Alley' due to its steep terrain and shallow soil. As Kerr County leaders avoid alert questions, new audio surfaces in CodeRED timeline 'Our area has a history of monstrous and devastating flash floods,' the video said. Like a historic flood in August 1978 that killed at least nine people and another flood in July 1987 that killed 10. 'It rained about 15 inches in a matter of three hours,' Burgess said. In 2016, officials discussed flood warning sirens. According to Kerr County Commissioners' Court meeting minutes, one commissioner said at the time: 'The thought of beautiful Kerr County having these damn sirens going off in the middle of the night, I'm going to have to start drinking again to put up with y'all.' In 2018, the county's request for a $1 million grant for a new flood warning system was rejected. So far, Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William B. 'Dub' Thomas has not said what actions were taken after the first flood alerts came in a week ago. In the 2017 online video, he said it was up to residents to 'heed the warnings' — like not driving across flooded roads. 'It's all about personal accountability,' Thomas said. 'You're responsible for your life, your family's life, the lives of your children.' On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the creation of House and Senate Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding. Lawmakers will look at flood warning systems, emergency communications and relief funding during the upcoming special session. 'In the coming year, and into the next regular legislative session,' Patrick said, 'we will gather all the facts and answer the many questions to which the public demands answers.'
Newsweek
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Newsweek
'Flash Flood Alley' Has History of Deadly Camp Floods: Meteorologist
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Around 70 people have been killed in flash floods across Texas over the weekend, where intense rainfall inundated what is known as part of "flash flood alley." Eleven girls are missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River, after flooding hit the area. The disaster echoes aspects of a 1987 flood that killed 10 campers at a nearby Christian camp, local meteorologist Cary Burgess told Newsweek on Sunday via email. Newsweek has reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) for comment via email on Sunday. Why It Matters Fast-moving floodwaters surged 26 feet along the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before dawn on Friday, sweeping away homes and vehicles in Texas Hill Country. As of Sunday morning, the deadly floods have taken the lives of around 70 people with dozens still missing, many from Camp Mystic, along the river. The Associated Press reported that the estimated number of fatalities is expected to increase over the next few days. The NWS has activated several flood warnings across Texas, many of which are expected to last until at least Monday morning. Flooding is the second deadliest weather hazard in the United States after extreme heat, with most fatalities occurring when vehicles are swept away by rising waters. A man surveys damage left by a raging Guadalupe River on July 4 in Kerrville, Texas. A man surveys damage left by a raging Guadalupe River on July 4 in Kerrville, Texas. AP Photo/Eric Gay What To Know "This part of the Texas Hill Country is very prone to flash flooding because of the rugged terrain and rocky landscape," Burgess told Newsweek. She referred to Kerrville, which was hit especially hard, as part of "flash flood alley," a term local meteorologists and experts have called the region. She noted that, while flooding like this "doesn't happen often," large scale ones "have occurred at least four times in the last 50 years." "Kerrville actually had a higher crest of 37.4" in a July 1987 event where 10 campers were lost downstream," Burgess told Newsweek. The crest refers to the highest level a river reaches before it goes back down. She added: "This flood resembled all of those previous events, although we have a much higher population now compared to 40 or 50 years ago." During the 1987 flood, about 11 inches of rain fell on the area, sending buses of teenagers fleeing from the Pot O' Gold Christian Camp near Comfort, Texas, into the water. Search-and-rescue crews saved dozens, but 10 teenagers died. "Each flood event of this magnitude has occurred in the month of June, July or August, and usually has some kind of tropical characteristic with it," Burgess noted, adding that "remnants of former Tropical Storm Barry that made landfall in Mexico last week and that circulation is still spinning across Texas today." By early morning Friday, between 10 and 12 inches of rain fell in the region. Local news station KSAT meteorologists identified some rural areas that experienced 13 inches of rain. Burgess also noted to CNN that the Guadalupe River is bedded with limestone rather than mud, "so it acts like concrete or a street." The river, which is approximately 250 miles, typically has a fast stream as it flows over limestone. The amount of water that fell rapidly on Friday is estimated around 100 billion gallons, an enormous volume that almost doubles the daily flow over Niagara Falls, according to KSAT. The high-volume rainfall has left dozens of people killed, missing, and displaced. More than 850 people have been rescued in the last 36 hours, with search crews using helicopters, boats, and drones to locate victims and rescue people stranded in trees and isolated camps. President Donald Trump issued a "Major Disaster Declaration" over the deadly floods on Sunday. What People Are Saying Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, told CNN on Sunday: "Obviously the priority is on making sure that those girls are found and are saved —and anybody else who may be missing at this point—and then I think after that, we have to figure out in the future how we make sure that it doesn't happen again." Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, wrote in an X, formerly Twitter, post on Saturday: "Heidi and I continue to lift up in prayer the families of the victims. It is imperative that all Texans heed the warnings and guidance of law enforcement. Please stay safe." FEMA Region 6, in Texas, wrote in an X post on Sunday: "Floodwaters carry hidden dangers—contaminants, debris, and power risks. Stay out of flooded areas. Stay alert. Stay safe." Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday: "I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones—in particular their daughters who were at summer camp—in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States," the pope said during his Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican." What Happens Next? Multiple local, state and federal agencies are continuing to search for survivors among the flood debris.
