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Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas Officials Did Not Use Technology That Would Have Sent Lifesaving Messages amid Flooding Tragedy: Report
A new report found that officials in Kerr County, Texas, did not use technology that would have sent lifesaving emergency messages to everyone in the vicinity of the Guadalupe River as it flooded on July 4 The Washington Post obtained messages from a National Weather Service meteorologist warning Kerr County officials about potential flash flooding, beginning at 1 a.m. that morning The death toll from the flooding has risen steadily since July 4 and now sits at more than 120 peopleA new report found that officials in Kerr County, Texas, did not use technology that would have sent lifesaving emergency messages to everyone in the vicinity of the Guadalupe River, where dozens of people have died and been reported missing in the wake of devastating flooding that began on July 4. According to The Washington Post, Kerr County officials did not use the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) — a notification tool that uses vibrations and emits a loud alert noise — even after a National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist warned them about the severity of the floods. The outlet obtained messages posted in a Slack channel — a message system used by NWS meteorologists to communicate about changing conditions with local officials and members of the press — that showed one meteorologist asking county officials to send an alert about the severe flooding to the public several times in the early hours of July 4, to no response. Kerr County did issue cellphone alerts that morning, using a system called CodeRED that sends voice messages to landlines listed in the White Pages, as well as text messages to the cellphones of people who have signed up, according to the Post. The outlet reported that although it couldn't confirm the exact time of each CodeRED message, some local residents' first message from the system was at 10:55 a.m., hours after the water had reached record-breaking levels. It's not clear whether any Kerr County officials were monitoring the channel that night, CNN reported. Jason Runyen, the NWS meteorologist on duty for the Austin/San Antonio region that night, first sent a message just before 1 a.m., saying that officials should look out for flash flooding in Kerr and neighboring Bandera County. One person reacted to the message with a thumbs-up emoji, but it was an emergency manager from another county. The Weather Service used the IPAWS system at 1:14 a.m. to send a flash-flood warning to Kerr and Bandera, and instructed recipients to "turn around, don't drown." By 2:28 a.m. Runyen wrote in Slack that Kerr County had received 200% of the rainfall needed to trigger flash flooding, and that the flooding had "likely begun." No Kerr County officials reacted or replied to the message, the Post reported. The water in the Guadalupe River would rise more than 20 feet in the hours following Runyen's message, and by 3 a.m., he wrote: "A very dangerous flash flood event is unfolding across south-central Kerr County." Runyen also wrote that Hunt, Texas, might reach a "moderate" flood level later in the morning, calling the town a "bullseye." The meteorologist also wrote in Slack at 3:56 a.m. that the flooding in Hunt had been categorized as "major," and said the Weather Service was about to issue another IPAWS alert about a "Flash Flood Emergency" to Kerr and Bandera counties. At 4:35 a.m., the level of the Guadalupe River had surged above 29 feet near Hunt, and soon after, the gauge that measures the water level was destroyed. Kerr County officials made their first public comment at 5:31 a.m., according to the Post. The Kerr County Facebook page announced that the flooding was "happening now." The Kerr County Sheriff's Office also wrote on its Facebook page soon after that people near the river should "move to higher ground immediately." Two and a half days after the flooding, Kerr County sent its first IPAWS evacuation order at around 3 p.m. on July 6. "High confidence of river flooding," read the message. "Evacuate the Guadalupe River and low-lying areas. Move to higher ground." Many local Texas residents told the Post that flash flood warnings sometimes come so often in the region that people ignore them. Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, a professor at the University of Central Florida who researches emergency management, told the Post that if local authorities had sent an IPAWS message rather than the National Weather Service, residents might have paid closer attention. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "If the alert had gone out, there might be one or two people who might have still been able to receive that message, who now, through word of mouth, alert people around them," Sadiq said. "We are eight days removed from the most devastating tragedy in this community's history," officials told PEOPLE when asked for comment on the Post's report. "From the start, the city and county have pledged transparency and a full review of the disaster response, and we stand by those commitments." "The special session begins July 23, and that review work is underway while we remain focused on active emergency response," their statement added. Central Texas is still reeling from the destructive and deadly floodwaters, which were spurred by nearly unprecedented rainfall that swelled the Guadalupe River, drowning portions of the state's Hill Country. The death toll has risen steadily since July 4 and now sits at more than 120, with another 150 people still missing, CNN reported. Among the dead, at least 36 were children. Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp located just off the Guadalupe River, previously confirmed that 27 of its campers and counselors died. Five girls from the camp remain missing, according to authorities. To learn how to help support the victims and recovery efforts from the Texas floods, click here. Read the original article on People
New York Post
17-05-2025
- New York Post
Scottish woman discovers long-lost dad's secret life as New York mafia informant after DNA test
A woman who was searching for information about her long-lost dad has discovered his secret life as a New York City mafia informant. Paula Colville, 60, was raised by her mom Elizabeth, who became pregnant while working in New York City as an au pair in the 1960s. After returning to Scotland, Elizabeth refused to speak to Paula about her past – with Paula only discovering her own father's name aged 15, after a conversation with her grandmother. Advertisement 3 Paula Colville holds up a photo frame of her father Billy Elson Lawson. Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS Once Elizabeth passed away, Paula, from Lochgelly in Fife, decided to try 'one last time' to find out more about her family, and took a DNA test in the hopes of being matched with any living relatives. Shockingly, she was put in contact with half-sisters and half-nieces from California and New York – and together, they discovered that Billy Elson Lawson had lived in New York City, acting as an undercover mafia informant, before fleeing the state after an attempt on his life. Advertisement 'My mum was never forthcoming with any information about my father,' said Paula. 'My mother made it very clear that I was a bitter reminder of the man that she'd loved and lost. 'As a 15-year-old, I was given a small amount of information by my gran – she told me his name, and said that my father was 20 years older than my mum, and was the owner of the George Washington hotel in Lexington Avenue. 'That wasn't true, but she did tell me his name was Billy Lawson. Advertisement 'So, when my mum was at work, I went through the entire White Pages – which is the New York phonebook – to try and find him. 'Of course, I didn't find him because his name had already changed at that point, but I wasn't aware of that. 3 Once Elizabeth passed away, Paula, from Lochgelly in Fife, decided to try 'one last time' to find out more about her family, and took a DNA test in the hopes of being matched with any living relatives. Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS 'I tried again throughout the years – I even went to the Salvation Army, because they help to find missing people. I hoped that they might be able to help, but they couldn't find anything. Advertisement 'I gave up for a while after that. 'But then my best friend passed away in January 2022, and he'd said to me that I should really give it one last go to see if I could find out anything.' Paula even hired a private investigator based in New York to try and track down information about Billy – but he came up empty handed. But after finding half-sisters Cherie, 51, and Lisa, 49, through MyHeritage and Ancestry DNA tests, the siblings were able to compare the information they had about their father. Paula discovered that Billy had been placed under witness protection after an attempted assassination blew up his apartment, leading him to flee the city. 'He'd been living in an apartment, and people had tried to have him killed – the apartment blew up, but he wasn't in there at the time,' she said. 'It was linked to the mafia stuff, which is really surreal. Advertisement 'You don't expect something like that to be part of your life – it's like something from the movies.' He took on the name Why Wakeen, and moved to Texas and New Jersey, where he was twice married and divorced, before settling down in Arkansas. Neither of his wives knew anything about his time in the mob, attempted murder, or his birth name. Billy passed away in Arkansas in 2009 after a battle with pneumonia and pancreatic cancer, with his death registered under his alias. Advertisement 'I found two women who turned out to be my half-nieces,' said Paula. 'They had a similar story about their granddad – but his name was slightly different, so I wasn't sure. 'We conversed quite a lot – shared what information we could with each other. 'Dad was sporadic, in and out of their mum's life, and it was mostly phone calls she had with him. Her mum did have some contact with him – although not a lot. Advertisement 'I had also commissioned a private investigator who lived in New York, to try and find more about him, but he couldn't come up with anything – again, because of the name. 3 Paula, who lived her whole life believing she was an only child, was shocked to discover she had sisters – and thrilled to get the chance to learn more about them. Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS 'It was like he had vanished off the face of the earth. 'Through matches on Ancestry, I managed to locate cousins of his. Advertisement 'They were completely unaware that Billy had even been married, never mind had biological children. They knew nothing. 'They said that he just vanished after he joined the American Air Force in 1960. 'I finally managed to find other relatives who put me in the right direction – and they helped me get in contact with my sisters, Cherie and Lisa. 'They didn't know he had changed his name – they were shocked.' Paula, who lived her whole life believing she was an only child, was shocked to discover she had sisters – and thrilled to get the chance to learn more about them. The three women bonded immediately – and in February, Paula and her husband flew to New York to meet them for the first time, and celebrate her 60th birthday amongst family. 'I sent them letters at first, and they received them on the exact same day,' Paula said. 'We had our first video call the next day – this was in June 2023 – and our relationship has just built from there. 'Finally, my husband and I went to New York in February. It was my 60th birthday, and I thought it would be really nice to spend it with my sisters. 'It was everything I hoped for and more – it was like all my birthdays and Christmases came at once. 'The girls and I are so alike – how we think, we have the same likes and dislikes. 'Considering we grew up with different mothers and on different sides of the planet, it's strange that we think the same way. 'You'd think that there would be awkward silences once we met, but we were talking non-stop. It was really lovely.' Paula and her sisters took a trip around New York City – investigating her father's old haunts, including a visit to a hotel where he had briefly worked as a bellboy in the 1960s. Now, with her family's greatest mystery solved, Paula hopes to continue keeping a close relationship with her sisters – and says the discoveries she has made have been 'surreal.' 'The girls and I have already agreed that we'll do our utmost best to see each other at least once a year,' she said. 'My husband and I are already planning our next trip to New York. 'The girls do want to come to Scotland – but I'm quite happy going back there! 'It was Dad's territory, and I just want to go to the places where he was. I still want to learn more about him – but that will come as time goes on. 'I feel very blessed. I'm very lucky that the girls have welcomed me with open arms. 'We're in a very good place and we're close – which is strange to say, because I was brought up as an only child. 'It's been surreal – it's like finding the missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.'
