Latest news with #localagencies
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
A decade of missed opportunities: Texas couldn't find $1M for flood warning system near camps
KERRVILLE, Texas — Over the last decade, an array of local and state agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert the type of disaster that swept away dozens of campers and others in Kerr County, Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. The agencies repeatedly failed to secure roughly $1 million for a project to better protect the county's 50,000 residents and thousands of youth campers and tourists who spend time along the Guadalupe River in an area known as 'flash-flood alley.' The plan, which would have installed flood monitoring equipment near Camp Mystic, cost about as much as the county spends on courthouse security every two years, or 1.5% of its annual budget.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
A decade of missed opportunities: Texas couldn't find $1M for flood warning system near camps
Over the last decade, an array of local and state agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert the type of disaster that swept away dozens of campers and others in Kerr County, Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. The agencies repeatedly failed to secure roughly $1 million for a project to better protect the county's 50,000 residents and thousands of youth campers and tourists who spend time along the Guadalupe River in an area known as 'flash-flood alley.' The plan, which would have installed flood monitoring equipment near Camp Mystic, cost about as much as the county spends on courthouse security every two years, or 1.5% of its annual budget. Meanwhile, other communities had moved ahead with sirens and warning systems of their own. In nearby Comfort, a long, flat-three minute warning sound signifying flood danger helped evacuate the town of 2,000 people as practiced. Previous floods provided warnings A deadly 2015 Memorial Day flood in Kerr County rekindled debate over whether to install a flood monitoring system and sirens to alert the public to evacuate when the river rose to dangerous levels. Some officials, cognizant of a 1987 flood that killed eight people on a church camp bus, thought it was finally time. But the idea soon ran into opposition. Some residents and elected officials opposed the installation of sirens, citing the cost and noise that they feared would result from repeated alarms. County commissioners sought compromise. They moved forward with a plan for a warning system without sirens, which would improve flood monitoring with a series of sensors but leave it up to local authorities to alert the public. They didn't want to pay for it on their own but found little help elsewhere. The county's largest city, Kerrville, declined to participate in a joint grant application that would have required a $50,000 contribution. The state's emergency management agency twice passed over the county's request for hazard mitigation funding, citing a deficiency in the application and then backing communities ravaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The state's flood infrastructure fund later offered an interest-free loan for the project — but that plan was seen as too stingy and turned down by the agency in charge of managing the watershed. A failure to act Without the flood monitoring system, the county was left vulnerable when rains pounded the area in the early morning hours of July 4 and the river rapidly rose. 'There wasn't enough fight in them, and there needs to be more fight this time,' said Nicole Wilson, a San Antonio mother who pulled her daughters out of an area camp ahead of the flooding and who launched an online petition calling on Kerr County to install the sirens. 'Whether it's a combination of city, state and federal funding, there simply can't be the answer of 'no' this time.' Local authorities and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have urged the public not to point fingers after the flooding, which killed more than 110 people and left scores more reported missing. 'I would be willing to talk about it but not yet. It's just too raw right now,' said Glenn Andrew, a former Kerrville city council member who voted in 2017 to pull the city out of the grant proposal for the project. 'My preference is to look forward to the future.' A spokesperson for Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Wednesday that lawmakers, who begin a special session later this month, would approve funding to cover such projects in the future. 'The state will provide emergency warning sirens where needed,' Patrick spokesperson Steven Aranyi wrote in an email. But some anger is starting to boil over. Raymond Howard, a city council member in Ingram, Texas, in Kerr County, said Wednesday it's 'unfathomable' that county officials never took action despite repeatedly talking about it. 'That's just mind-boggling,' he said. 'It's unfathomable that they never worked on it. If it comes down to funding, they're constantly raising taxes on us for other stuff. This is more important. This is lives. This is families. This is heartbreaking.' Howard, who lives in a home along the Guadalupe River, said any action now would come too late for those who have died. Another chance ended in diverted funds Kerr County requested a flood warning system grant in 2016 through the Texas Division of Emergency Management's hazard mitigation program, which is supported by Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to help communities reduce their risk. But that application was rejected because it did not meet federal specifications, including one that required the county have a current hazard mitigation plan on file, Texas emergency management spokesperson Wes Rapaport said. The county hired a consultant and an engineering firm to help prepare another application for the project for the next funding cycle in 2017. The system outlined in the county's preliminary plan would provide 'mass notifications to citizens about high water levels and flooding conditions throughout Kerr County.' At targeted low water crossings within Kerr County, sensors connected to monitoring stations would transmit a signal that would notify local officials and emergency management agencies of the rising water levels. Officials envisioned using that information to alert the public and call their contacts at youth camps and RV parks during emergencies. But after Hurricane Harvey caused record flooding in Houston and other areas of Texas in August 2017, 'funding was distributed to counties that fell under the disaster declaration, which Kerr County was not included on,' Rapaport said. The City of Kerrville's council voted 4-0 to decline to participate in the grant proposal, balking at its planned $50,000 contribution, minutes show. Texas voters created a new funding source for such projects in 2019, backing a constitutional amendment to create a state flood infrastructure fund with an initial $800 million investment. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority, which manages the watershed in Kerr County, revived the project last year with a $1 million initial request for funding. The Texas Water Development Board, which oversees the fund, offered a $50,000 grant and a $950,000 interest-free loan for the rest of the project. The river authority declined to pursue the funding, saying the terms were not favorable. ___ Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa; Keller from Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Mustian from Miami. Associated Press reporter Claudia Lauer contributed to this report from Philadelphia.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
A decade of missed opportunities: Texas couldn't find $1M for flood warning system near camps
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Over the last decade, an array of local and state agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert the type of disaster that swept away dozens of campers and others in Kerr County, Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. The agencies repeatedly failed to secure roughly $1 million for a project to better protect the county's 50,000 residents and thousands of youth campers and tourists who spend time along the Guadalupe River in an area known as 'flash-flood alley.' The plan, which would have installed flood monitoring equipment near Camp Mystic, cost about as much as the county spends on courthouse security every two years, or 1.5% of its annual budget. Meanwhile, other communities had moved ahead with sirens and warning systems of their own. In nearby Comfort, a long, flat-three minute warning sound signifying flood danger helped evacuate the town of 2,000 people as practiced. Previous floods provided warnings A deadly 2015 Memorial Day flood in Kerr County rekindled debate over whether to install a flood monitoring system and sirens to alert the public to evacuate when the river rose to dangerous levels. Some officials, cognizant of a 1987 flood that killed eight people on a church camp bus, thought it was finally time. But the idea soon ran into opposition. Some residents and elected officials opposed the installation of sirens, citing the cost and noise that they feared would result from repeated alarms. County commissioners sought compromise. They moved forward with a plan for a warning system without sirens, which would improve flood monitoring with a series of sensors but leave it up to local authorities to alert the public. They didn't want to pay for it on their own but found little help elsewhere. The county's largest city, Kerrville, declined to participate in a joint grant application that would have required a $50,000 contribution. The state's emergency management agency twice passed over the county's request for hazard mitigation funding, citing a deficiency in the application and then backing communities ravaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The state's flood infrastructure fund later offered an interest-free loan for the project — but that plan was seen as too stingy and turned down by the agency in charge of managing the watershed. A failure to act Without the flood monitoring system, the county was left vulnerable when rains pounded the area in the early morning hours of July 4 and the river rapidly rose. 'There wasn't enough fight in them, and there needs to be more fight this time,' said Nicole Wilson, a San Antonio mother who pulled her daughters out of an area camp ahead of the flooding and who launched an online petition calling on Kerr County to install the sirens. 'Whether it's a combination of city, state and federal funding, there simply can't be the answer of 'no' this time.' Local authorities and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have urged the public not to point fingers after the flooding, which killed more than 110 people and left scores more reported missing. 'I would be willing to talk about it but not yet. It's just too raw right now,' said Glenn Andrew, a former Kerrville city council member who voted in 2017 to pull the city out of the grant proposal for the project. 'My preference is to look forward to the future.' A spokesperson for Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Wednesday that lawmakers, who begin a special session later this month, would approve funding to cover such projects in the future. 'The state will provide emergency warning sirens where needed,' Patrick spokesperson Steven Aranyi wrote in an email. But some anger is starting to boil over. Raymond Howard, a city council member in Ingram, Texas, in Kerr County, said Wednesday it's 'unfathomable' that county officials never took action despite repeatedly talking about it. 'That's just mind-boggling,' he said. 'It's unfathomable that they never worked on it. If it comes down to funding, they're constantly raising taxes on us for other stuff. This is more important. This is lives. This is families. This is heartbreaking.' Howard, who lives in a home along the Guadalupe River, said any action now would come too late for those who have died. Another chance ended in diverted funds Kerr County requested a flood warning system grant in 2016 through the Texas Division of Emergency Management's hazard mitigation program, which is supported by Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to help communities reduce their risk. But that application was rejected because it did not meet federal specifications, including one that required the county have a current hazard mitigation plan on file, Texas emergency management spokesperson Wes Rapaport said. The county hired a consultant and an engineering firm to help prepare another application for the project for the next funding cycle in 2017. The system outlined in the county's preliminary plan would provide 'mass notifications to citizens about high water levels and flooding conditions throughout Kerr County.' At targeted low water crossings within Kerr County, sensors connected to monitoring stations would transmit a signal that would notify local officials and emergency management agencies of the rising water levels. Officials envisioned using that information to alert the public and call their contacts at youth camps and RV parks during emergencies. But after Hurricane Harvey caused record flooding in Houston and other areas of Texas in August 2017, 'funding was distributed to counties that fell under the disaster declaration, which Kerr County was not included on,' Rapaport said. The City of Kerrville's council voted 4-0 to decline to participate in the grant proposal, balking at its planned $50,000 contribution, minutes show. Texas voters created a new funding source for such projects in 2019, backing a constitutional amendment to create a state flood infrastructure fund with an initial $800 million investment. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority, which manages the watershed in Kerr County, revived the project last year with a $1 million initial request for funding. The Texas Water Development Board, which oversees the fund, offered a $50,000 grant and a $950,000 interest-free loan for the rest of the project. The river authority declined to pursue the funding, saying the terms were not favorable. ___ Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa; Keller from Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Mustian from Miami. Associated Press reporter Claudia Lauer contributed to this report from Philadelphia.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
Large search team finds man, 61, who went missing ‘under unknown circumstances' in remote SoCal
A 61-year-old man who went missing for three days last week was reunited with his family thanks to search efforts from a large coalition from multiple counties and state-level authorities. According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, the unnamed man was reported missing at 1 a.m. on Wednesday. He had 'gone missing under unknown circumstances' in the 38000 block of Overton Road, located east of Sage, a community of just over 3,300 people that lies south of Hemet. 'A search operation was immediately launched and continued for three days,' RCSO said in a press release. 'On Saturday, the missing man was found alive and in stable condition in the Sage area.' Moreno Valley shooting leaves 6 people hospitalized, including 5 in critical condition He was taken to a local hospital and evaluated before being reunited with his family. Riverside County authorities were aided by multiple other local agencies in the search for the man, including officials from Orange, San Diego and San Bernardino counties as well as officials from the state level. Photos included in RCSO's press release show the large search team. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Grooming gangs inquiry: how will it help victims and affect the law?
The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said she will commission a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs and enact a series of law changes. It comes after a 197-page report by Lady Casey examining what more could be done to bring perpetrators to justice. Here are the key points from the report. Casey said that local inquiries should be coordinated by an independent commission which has full statutory inquiry powers. It would be time limited and targeted. The report said that the inquiry would set strict timescales and terms of reference for the local investigations, and be able to compel witnesses where they refuse to cooperate. There should be a charter for victims about what they should reasonably expect from this process, Casey said. Cooper said the national inquiry will go ahead, with details of the chair and funding announced in due course. It will not be the kind of overarching inquiry like the one into child sexual abuse conducted by Prof Alexis Jay. The purpose would be to combat 'denial, resistance and legal wrangling among local agencies'. Casey said there should be 'a vigorous approach to righting the wrongs of the past' and state agencies should be held to account for any part they played in allowing these crimes to go undetected and unpunished. 'Blindness, ignorance, prejudice, defensiveness and even good but misdirected intentions, all play a part in a collective failure to properly deter and prosecute offenders or to protect children from harm,' she said. Data from three police forces had identified 'clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani heritage,' Cooper said, citing the report. The collection of ethnicity and nationality data for all suspects in child sexual abuse and criminal exploitation cases will be made mandatory. In her report, Casey said that 'there had been enough convictions across the country of groups of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds to have warranted closer examination'. She said that obscuring the data was also unfair on Asian, Pakistani and Muslim communities because they 'needlessly suffer as those with malicious intent use this obfuscation to sow and spread hatred'. 'It is not racist to want to examine the ethnicity of offenders,' Casey wrote, saying it was vital to understanding offending. She said that common assertions that the majority of child sexual abuse offenders are white 'even if true, are at best misleading', and that given that 80% of the UK population is white, it should always be seen as a 'significant issue when [an ethnicity] appears disproportionately over-represented'. But she also warned against this being used by a 'minority of people who pretend to be on the side of victims but are using them – and others who genuinely care about the plight of victims and the need for tougher action – to spread division and hate across communities'. Casey's report found that abused victims were considered wayward or even dubbed 'child prostitutes'. She said that the current law meant in many cases abusers received lesser charges in cases where children aged between 13 and 15 were seen to be 'in love' with the perpetrators. The law should be tightened to ensure there is no exception to those who sexually penetrate a child under 16 being charged with rape, she said. Casey said she believed the public would be horrified to realise this was not the case already. 'I believe many jaws across the country would drop if it was widely known that doing so is called anything but [rape],' the report said. Cooper has said this law will be changed as soon as possible. Above all, Casey said this was a recognition that victims should be treated as children, having been dismissed as promiscuous or wayward. She said they were 'ideal victims, ready to be tricked into thinking they are loved, worthy of their attention – before turning that against them'. She cited cases as recently as 2024 where victims were blamed for their actions – including where a judge in the case of a 13-year-old remarked that the girl 'appeared older than 13' and pointed out what he called her 'promiscuous behaviour'. Cooper said she would add another law change: any asylum seekers who are found guilty of grooming children or committing sexual offences will have their applications rejected. Cooper said more than 800 grooming and sexual exploitation cases will be reviewed – and she expects the figure to rise to more than 1000. In her report, Casey said every local police force in England and Wales should review records to identify cases of child sexual exploitation that have not been acted upon, including a review of cases that have been reported but which have not resulted in prosecutions over the last 10 years. She said there should also be a review of police and children's services records to identify children who have been at risk of or harmed by sexual exploitation over the last 10 years. Potential victims identified from police and children's services records should be approached and investigations taken forward on their behalf. Cooper said the government will ensure that convictions of the young victims, many of whom say they still face appalling discrimination because of their convictions, will be quashed. Casey cited police figures from the 1990s which found almost 4,000 police cautions were given to children between 10 and 18 for offences relating to prostitution. It took until 2015 for the term 'child prostitution' to be dropped and replaced with the term 'child sexual exploitation', when the legislation was changed in the Serious Crime Act. She said that victims had regularly been re-traumatised over the years, from the shame of their convictions and the anger and not being believed or living alongside their perpetrators. 'Sometimes they have criminal convictions for actions they took while under coercion,' Casey said. 'They have to live with fear and the constant shadow over them of an injustice which has never been righted – the shame of not being believed.'
