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New York Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- New York Times
At Texas Flooding Hearing, State Officials Look Elsewhere for Blame
Texas' emergency management chief on Wednesday defended his agency's actions in the July 4 floods that ravaged the Texas Hill Country, suggesting at the first legislative hearing on the disaster that local emergency officials were not adequately trained to respond. At several points during the hearing on the state's handling of the catastrophic floods that killed at least 136 people statewide, W. Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, directed attention to the role of local emergency managers in disaster response in Texas. 'The responsibility of being in charge rests with local officials,' Mr. Kidd testified at the hearing of State Senate and House committees for disaster preparedness. He also pointed to the lack of specificity and urgency in National Weather Service forecasts until shortly before floodwaters began surging early on July 4. While Mr. Kidd did not describe any particular failures by local officials, he stressed the need for 'a deliberate conversation about the credentialing of emergency managers at the local level.' At the moment, there are no requirements for credentials. 'We can do better than that,' he said. The testimony opened a daylong hearing at the State Capitol in Austin, part of a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott to address the flooding, as well as to redraw congressional maps to benefit Republicans in response to pressure from President Trump. The state is still reeling from the flooding. At the hearing on Wednesday, the director of the state police, Freeman Martin, told lawmakers that another person missing in the flood, an adult woman whom he did not identify, had been found dead. Two people, including a child from Camp Mystic, remain missing in Kerr County, he said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott visits San Angelo, praises flood response, promises continued recovery aid
Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited San Angelo and held a press conference at the Spur Arena on Thursday, addressing Texas' ongoing response to severe flooding that impacted the state earlier in July. Prior to the press conference, Abbott received a briefing on the flood recovery efforts in Tom Green County and visited the Disaster Recovery Center at the Concho Valley Transit Annex to meet with families, first responders and volunteers. State Sen. Charles Perry, State Rep. Drew Darby, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Tom Kidd, Tom Green County Judge Lane Carter, San Angelo Mayor Tom Thompson, San Angelo Fire Department Chief Patrick Brody and other state officials joined Abbott for the briefing and press conference. 'In a disaster, saving lives is the first and foremost thing that anybody should prioritize,' Abbott said. 'Our first responders have stepped up and saved so many lives across the entire region. We will continue the search for everybody that was affected by these devastating floods. More: What to know about assistance and flood recovery in San Angelo: FEMA declares disaster More: San Angelo city council approves $1 million task force for debris clean up 'At the same time, we are working with local officials and the community to go through the many stages of the recovery process. Texas is going to remain working in Tom Green County and across the state until the recovery is complete.' Abbott noted the individual and public assistance available from the state and federal government for Texans who have been impacted by the recent devastating flooding. During the press conference, Abbott mentioned the agenda for the upcoming special session, which includes legislation to improve early warning systems and emergency response communities across the state. 'We're gathering information that helps us understand the way the response was undertaken here,' Abbott said. 'And I gotta tell ya, we've not seen a better response in the state of Texas (than Tom Green County), and there are articulated reasons for that. One, there was a great deal of collaboration at all levels from the very first minute, all the way until this moment in time. The response by local officials was extraordinary.' 'In talking to TDEM Chief Kidd, we consider the way Tom Green County, and I say the County, and it obviously involves the city, your mayor, every local official at every level. We consider (the response) to be a model for the way that communities need to respond to disasters like this.' Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@ Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer. This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Abbott praises San Angelo flood response, vows continued state support
Chicago Tribune
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Timeline raises questions over how Texas officials handled warnings before the deadly July Fourth flood
Officials in Texas are facing 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 at least 120 people, including more than two dozen children and counselors at an all-girls Christian camp. More than 170 people are still believed to be missing, a week after the forceful floodwater hit over the July Fourth weekend. In the days since the devastation, state, federal and Kerr County officials have deflected pointed questions about preparations and warnings. Many remain unanswered. The Associated Press has assembled an approximate timeline of the events before, during and after the deadly flash flood from sources including state and local documents, social media posts, firsthand accounts and scanner traffic archived on Broadcastify. It begins with the activation of the state's emergency response resources on July 2, the day Texas signed off on the camp's emergency disaster plan. By daybreak on July Fourth, it was clear that some children from Camp Mystic had been swept away by floodwaters, even as others were able to escape to safety in their pajamas. The Texas Division of Emergency Management activates state emergency response resources anticipating the threat of flooding in parts of West and Central Texas. On the same day, state inspectors sign off on Camp Mystic's emergency protocol, according to records obtained by the AP. 10 a.m.: County judges and city mayors are invited to attend a daily call to discuss weather forecasts, according to comments by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and a regional coordinator reaches out personally to officials in the area. According to Patrick: 'The message was sent. It is up to the local counties and mayors under the law to evacuate if they feel the need.' However, in Kerr County, where the devastation is most extensive, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said later he did not know what state emergency management resources were deployed ahead of time and that he did not receive a phone call. 1:18 p.m.: The National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office issues a flood watch estimating rainfall of 1 to 3 inches, with isolated amounts of 5 to 7 inches for parts of south central Texas, including Kerr County. 'Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,' the alert says. 1:14 a.m.: Citing radar, the National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning for central Kerr County until 4:15 a.m., warning that it is life-threatening. Between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m: Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice is running on the river trail and 'everything was fine,' he says later. 'Four o'clock, when I left, there was no signs of it rising at that point,' Rice says during a news conference. 'This happened very quickly over a very short amount of time.' Rice says the isolated location and the fast, heavy rain created an unpredictably dangerous event, 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 says. 'It hit. It hit hard.' Between 3 a.m. 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. Some girls had to climb through cabin windows. One staffer says she was on the roof with water rising toward her at 4 a.m. 3:30 a.m.: Erin Burgess wakes up to thunder at around 3:30 a.m. in her home in Bumble Bee Hills, a housing development between Hunt and Ingram. Within about half an hour, the water is rushing into her house. Burgess and her 19-year-old son eventually cling to a tree outside for an hour before the water recedes. 3:35 a.m.: The National Weather Service extends 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 5 miles north of Camp Mystic and about 1 mile east of Hunt shows the river has reached nearly 16 feet. At that location, the river floods at 10 feet. Between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.: Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha is first notified about the situation from one of his sergeants. 4 a.m.: Kerrville police officers on their way to work start to encounter rising floodwaters and people in need of rescue. A sergeant comes to the intersection of FM 1340, a secondary highway, and State Highway 39 and realizes he is trapped 'on an island that was Hunt, Texas,' according to Jonathan Lamb, a community services officer with Kerrville police. According to Lamb: 'He saw people, dozens of people, trapped on roofs. He saw people trapped in swift moving water.' For 13 hours until 5 p.m., according to Lamb, the sergeant, a detective, several Hunt volunteer firefighters and an emergency room doctor work to rescue, evacuate and treat injuries largely on their own, until other emergency responders can arrive. Meanwhile in Kerrville, officers are rescuing and evacuating a few hundred people as they realized low lying areas close to the river were in danger, according to Lamb: 'One of them was wrapping a 100-foot (30-meter) flex line garden hose around his waist to go into the water and rescue those people. I know that this tragedy, as horrific as it is, could've been so much worse.' 4 a.m.: Water was pooling on the floor of Jane Towler's family cabin in Hunt, just south of the town center and about 5 miles north of Camp Mystic. 4:03 a.m.: The National Weather Service names a flash flood emergency for south-central Kerr County, saying in all caps that it is a 'particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!' Citing radar and automated rain gauges, the bulletin says low water crossings and the Guadalupe at Hunt are flooding. 4:16 a.m.: Towler shoots video of muddy water rising as she and her loved ones wonder how they will survive. Furniture floats in the water. Towler calls 911 from atop the kitchen counter. The family climbs onto the roof. 4:35 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge along the Guadalupe about 5 miles north of Camp Mystic and about a mile east of Hunt stops sending data. The last recorded river level is 29.5 feet. 5:30 a.m.: Police knock on Matthew Stone's door in a Kerrville riverfront neighborhood, urging residents to evacuate. Stone says he did not receive any warning on his phone: 'We got no emergency alert. There was nothing.' Then, 'a pitch-black wall of death.' 5:34 a.m.: The National Weather Service bulletin reports 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, a woman begs the Kerr County Sheriff's Office to help her mother-in-law, who is trapped in a trailer between Hunt and Ingram. 5:52 a.m.: Minutes later, another woman comments on the same post to say Bumble Bee Hills is flooded and help is needed. 6:06 a.m.: The National Weather Service extends the flash flood warning until 10:00 a.m. The bulletin says local law enforcement have reported 'major flooding' and water rescues along the Guadalupe. 6:19 a.m.: Another person says on the Kerr County Sheriff's Facebook page that 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 has peaked at 34.29 feet, a preliminary figure that is subject to change. It is the third-highest level recorded at that location. The record of 39 feet was set July 2, 1932, 6:59 a.m.: The river water has receded from Burgess' home and she notes that the line of muck reaches halfway up her kitchen cabinets. 7:24 a.m.: The National Weather Service advises that the flash flood emergency extends to the community of Sisterdale. 7:32 a.m.: The emergency management agency in Kendall County, which is adjacent to Kerr County, posts on Facebook that people along the Guadalupe in the community of Comfort are under mandatory evacuation orders. 9:34 a.m.: A rescue boat brings several people to safety after they are pulled from a home on Carolyn Road in Comfort, according to communications between Kendall County dispatchers and fire personnel. The boat turns around to rescue others trapped in the house. 10:31 a.m.: According to archived radio traffic between county dispatchers and fire personnel, water levels are rising in Kendall County. One unit is asked to check whether the water is over the road at a bridge over Cypress Creek, a tributary of the Guadalupe in Comfort. 'It's just pouring in right now. I don't believe it's over the banks,' the unidentified unit answers. 'But we do have some houses in low flooding areas taking on water, but I don't believe it is over the bank at this time.' 10:52 a.m.: Comfort, Texas, sounds its flood sirens as a last resort to evacuate residents near the Guadalupe River who had not heard or heeded previous advisements to evacuate. A small Texas community where everyone survived flooding has sirens that warned them10:56 a.m.: Kendall County dispatch requests that a team be sent to the Bergheim Campground in Boerne, Texas, near Guadalupe River State Park. They are asked to 'try to make contact with management and everybody down there to advise them that it needs to be evacuated here in the next hour or so.' 11:29 a.m.: Camp Mystic parents receive an email noting that the grounds have 'sustained catastrophic level floods' and are without power, water and internet. Parents with a daughter who is not accounted for have been contacted directly, according to the camp. 11:30 a.m.: Local officials hold their first news conference to describe the situation and response. Asked what kind of warnings went out to residents, Judge Rob Kelly, Kerr County's chief elected official, says: 'We do not have a warning system. ' Asked why camps were not evacuated, Kelly says officials did not 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 says. 'None whatsoever.' 3:30 p.m.: Two afternoon news conferences are the first to offer an initial death toll. Lt. Gov. Patrick says six to 10 bodies have been found so far. Around the same time, Leitha, the Kerr County sheriff, reports that 13 people have died. Patrick also announces that the whereabouts of about 23 girls attending Camp Mystic are unknown. 7:11 p.m.: A state agency responsible for search and rescue operations, the Texas Game Wardens, posts on Facebook to say its agents have entered Camp Mystic and 'are evacuating the campers to safety.' Roughly two dozen campers are still missing. 9 p.m.: Gov. Greg Abbott signs a disaster declaration at a news conference. Leitha reports about 24 fatalities.
1News
11-07-2025
- Climate
- 1News
Four still unanswered questions about the deadly Texas floods
Key questions remain unanswered about the actions Texas officials took both before and during the catastrophic July Fourth holiday floods as a painstaking search for victims continues along the Guadalupe River nearly a week later. Officials have avoided specific explanations of what steps were taken in advance of the intense downpour. Forecasts on July 3 suggested it could threaten the scenic Texas Hill Country where hundreds of locals, tourists and campers were sleeping overnight. At least 120 people were killed and more than 160 people are believed to still be missing. Here's what is still unknown about the hours before, during and after the deadly flash flood. How did officials prepare? Camper's belongings sit outside one of Camp Mystic's cabins near the Guadalupe River. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT The full extent of Texas officials' readiness is unclear. Two days before the flood, the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state emergency response resources and then increased the readiness level the following day. State officials have said early forecasts did not pinpoint where the most intense rains would hit, so equipment and personnel were staged only in several areas, although they have not given specifics. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said that, prior to a briefing call on July 3, a regional coordinator personally reached out to local officials to make sure they were aware. "The message was sent," Patrick said. In Kerr County, where the devastation is most extensive, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said this week he did not know what state emergency management resources were deployed ahead of time. "I'm not going to contradict the information you have but I will tell you, personally, I did not receive a telephone call," he said. How quickly did Texas authorities act? People search along the Guadalupe River after flooding in Kerrville, Texas. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT That's still unknown. Since the flood, Kerr County officials have repeatedly deflected questions about the details and timelines of their response. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning at 1.14am on Friday (local time) to mobile phones and weather radios. The warning was updated at 4.03am to a flash-flood emergency. The Kerrville Police Department and the Kerr County County Sheriff's Office began to post on Facebook around 5.15am warning residents of dangerous flooding. But it remains unclear how, if at all, emergency officials utilised CodeRED, the vendor used for alerting the public to emergency situations and disasters. An Associated Press review of wireless emergency alerts sent in Texas between July 3 and July 5 found dozens sent by the NWS via a FEMA system to local cellphones that warned of the potential for flash floods. There were none listed as sent by Kerr County agencies until one on July 6. How prepared was Camp Mystic? A Camp Mystic sign is seen near the entrance to the establishment along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas`. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT Texas inspectors had signed off on Camp Mystic's plans for an emergency just two days before the floodwaters inundated the all-girls Christian summer camp, killing more than two dozen people. Camps are responsible for developing their own emergency plans, which are evaluated by inspectors to ensure they meet several state requirements, including procedures for evacuation. Camp Mystic this week did not respond to requests for comment on its emergency plan. The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staff at the time between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations. It's not clear how threatening the July Fourth forecast appeared to camp leaders. The area is naturally prone to flash flooding, but this was an especially bad storm that hit overnight while most people are asleep, experts said. The landscape created the conditions for what some witnesses described as a fast-moving wall of water, which seems to have overtaken the cabins with the littlest campers. When will we find out more details? Damaged items lie inside of a cabin at Camp Mystic, in the aftermath of deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, U.S., July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Sergio Flores (Sergio Flores/REUTERS) ADVERTISEMENT Officials have not given a timeline. They've repeatedly said their focus for now is on searching for the missing. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's highest ranking official, has said officials "did not know this flood was coming". He has not spoken at any of the county's daily news conferences since July 5. William "Dub" Thomas, Kerr County's emergency management coordinator who has been in the job since November 2015, has not participated in any briefings with the media. On Tuesday, Thomas attended an emergency meeting of the county commissioner's court but declined an opportunity to address elected officials. Kelly and Thomas have not responded to interview requests sent to them and the county. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha has insisted his priority remains the current response, but also said this week an "after action" review of the events leading up to and during the flood will come later.
Hamilton Spectator
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
4 questions that are still unanswered about Texas' deadly floods
Associated Press (AP) — Key questions remain unanswered about the actions Texas officials took both before and during the catastrophic July Fourth holiday floods as a painstaking search for victims continues along the Guadalupe River nearly a week later. Officials have avoided specific explanations of what steps were taken in advance of the intense downpour . Forecasts on July 3 suggested it could threaten the scenic Texas Hill Country where hundreds of locals , tourists and campers were sleeping overnight. At least 120 people were killed and more than 160 people are believed to still be missing. Here's what is still unknown about the hours before , during and after the deadly flash flood. How did officials prepare? The full extent of Texas officials' readiness is unclear. Two days before the flood, the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state emergency response resources and then increased the readiness level the following day. State officials have said early forecasts did not pinpoint where the most intense rains would hit, so equipment and personnel were staged only in several areas, although they have not given specifics. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that prior to a briefing call on July 3, a regional coordinator personally reached out to local officials to make sure they were aware. 'The message was sent,' Patrick said. In Kerr County, where the devastation is most extensive, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said this week he did not know what state emergency management resources were deployed ahead of time. 'I'm not going to contradict the information you have, but I will tell you, personally, I did not receive a telephone call,' he said. How quickly did Texas authorities act? That's still unknown. Since the flood, Kerr County officials have repeatedly deflected questions about the details and timelines of their response. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Friday to mobile phones and weather radios. The warning was updated at 4:03 a.m. to a flash-flood emergency. The Kerrville Police Department and the Kerr County County Sheriff's Office began to post on Facebook around 5:15 a.m. warning residents of dangerous flooding. But it remains unclear how, if at all, emergency officials utilized CodeRED, the vendor used for alerting the public to emergency situations and disasters. An Associated Press review of wireless emergency alerts sent in Texas between July 3 and July 5 found dozens sent by the NWS via a FEMA system to local cellphones that warned of the potential for flash floods. There were none listed as sent by Kerr County agencies until one July 6. How prepared was Camp Mystic? Texas inspectors had signed off on Camp Mystic's plans for an emergency just two days before the floodwaters inundated the all-girls Christian summer camp , killing more than two dozen people. Camps are responsible for developing their own emergency plans, which are evaluated by inspectors to ensure they meet several state requirements, including procedures for evacuation. Camp Mystic this week did not respond to requests for comment on its emergency plan. The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers at the time between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations. It's not clear how threatening the July Fourth forecast appeared to camp leaders. The area is naturally prone to flash flooding, but this was an especially bad storm that hit overnight while most people are asleep, experts said. The landscape created the conditions for what some witnesses described as a fast-moving wall of water , which seems to have overtaken the cabins with the littlest campers. When will we find out more details? Officials have not given a timeline. They've repeatedly said their focus for now is on searching for the missing. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's highest ranking official, has said officials 'did not know this flood was coming.' He has not spoken at any of the county's daily news conferences since July 5. William 'Dub' Thomas, Kerr County's emergency management coordinator who has been in the job since November 2015, has not participated in any briefings with the media. On Monday, Thomas attended an emergency meeting of the county commissioner's court but declined an opportunity to address elected officials. Kelly and Thomas have not responded to interview requests sent to them and the county. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha has insisted his priority remains the current response, but also said this week an 'after action' review of the events leading up to and during the flood will come later. ___ Associated Press data journalist Christopher Keller contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
