Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Texas Officials Under Fire for Handling of Massive and Fatal Floods
  • Local news

Texas Officials Under Fire for Handling of Massive and Fatal Floods

    Texas officials face scrutiny over response to catastrophic and deadly flooding
    Up next
    Delicious: NPR Quietly Forced to Report Major Restaurant Chain Is Ending Egg Surcharge for Customers
    Tasty Tidbit: NPR Subtly Reveals Major Restaurant Chain’s Decision to Remove Egg Surcharge
    Published on 06 July 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • and,
    • catastrophic,
    • Christopher Flowers,
    • Climate,
    • deadly,
    • Donald Trump,
    • Environment,
    • face,
    • Flooding,
    • Greg Abbott,
    • Jason Runyen,
    • Jon Porter,
    • Kristi Noem,
    • officials,
    • over,
    • Politics,
    • response,
    • Rob Kelly,
    • scrutiny,
    • Texas,
    • U.S. news
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    KERRVILLE, Texas – On the eve of the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the forecast while at a friend’s place near the Guadalupe River. There was nothing to suggest trouble.

    Just a few hours later, chaos ensued: Flowers awoke to darkness filled with popping electrical sockets and rising water levels reaching his ankles. In a hurry, he and his family managed to move nine people into the attic. Although phones were buzzing with alerts, Flowers remembered on Saturday that he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when during the turmoil they began.

    “What they need they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now,” Flowers, 44, said.

    The fierce floods that swept through pre-sunrise Friday in Texas Hill Country resulted in at least 43 fatalities in Kerr County, as reported by officials on Saturday, with many still missing. Among those unaccounted for were 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp near the river in Kerr County where most victims were located.

    But as authorities launch one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts in recent Texas history, they have come under intensifying scrutiny over preparations and why residents and youth summer camps that are dotted along the river were not alerted sooner or told to evacuate.

    The National Weather Service sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.

    Local officials have insisted that no one saw the flood potential coming and have defended their actions.

    “There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes Kerr County. “There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that.”

    When the warnings began

    An initial flood watch — which generally urges residents to be weather aware — was issued by the local National Weather Service office at 1:18 p.m. local time on Thursday.

    It predicted rain amounts of between 5 to 7 inches (12.7 to 17.8 centimeters). Weather messaging from the office, including automated alerts delivered to mobile phones to people in threatened areas, grew increasingly ominous in the early morning hours of Friday, urging people to move to higher ground and evacuate flood-prone areas, said Jason Runyen, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service office.

    At 4:03 a.m., the office issued an urgent warning that raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life.

    Jonathan Porter, the chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, a private weather forecasting company that uses National Weather Service data, said it appeared evacuations and other proactive measures could have been undertaken to reduce the risk of fatalities.

    “People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast,” Porter said in a statement.

    Local officials have said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.

    “We know we get rains. We know the river rises,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official. “But nobody saw this coming.”

    Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said he was jogging along the river early in the morning and didn’t notice any problems at 4 a.m. A little over an hour later, at 5:20 a.m., the water level had risen dramatically, and “we almost weren’t able to get out of the park,” he said.

    Rice also noted that the public can become desensitized to too many weather warnings.

    Kelly said the county considered a flood warning system along the river that would have functioned like a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, before he was elected, but that the idea never got off the ground because of the expense.

    “We’ve looked into it before … The public reeled at the cost,” Kelly said.

    Hundreds of rescues

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday that the massive response to the flooding had resulted in the rescue and recovery of more than 850 people, including some found clinging to trees.

    Scores of people in and along the river were airlifted to safety by helicopter, including girls at Camp Mystic.

    Kelly said he didn’t know what kind of safety and evacuation plans the camps may have had.

    “What I do know is the flood hit the camp first, and it came in the middle of the night. I don’t know where the kids were,” he said. “I don’t know what kind of alarm systems they had. That will come out in time.”

    U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Saturday it was difficult for forecasters to predict just how much rain would fall. She said the Trump administration would make it a priority to upgrade National Weather Service technology used to deliver warnings.

    “We know that everyone wants more warning time, and that’s why we’re working to upgrade the technology that’s been neglected for far too long to make sure families have as much advance notice as possible,” Noem said during a press conference with state and federal leaders.

    Weather service had extra staffers

    The National Weather Service office in New Braunfels, which delivers forecasts for Austin, San Antonio and the surrounding areas, had extra staff on duty during the storms, Runyen said.

    Where the office would typically have two forecasters on duty during clear weather, they had up to five on staff.

    “There were extra people in here that night, and that’s typical in every weather service office — you staff up for an event and bring people in on overtime and hold people over,” Runyen said.

    ___

    Murphy reported from Oklahoma City.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    'This breaks my heart': Texas lawmakers react to deadly flooding
    • Local news

    “Texas Legislators Express Heartache Over Fatal Flooding”

    Texas lawmakers on both sides of the aisle took a break from…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    A fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Iran war tests the harmony of Los Angeles' huge Iranian community
    • Local news

    How Los Angeles’ Iranian Community Faces Challenges Amid a Fragile Israel-Iran Ceasefire

    LOS ANGELES – “Tehrangeles” in West Los Angeles is home to the…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    US completes deportation of 8 men to South Sudan after weeks of legal wrangling
    • Local news

    Eight Men Deported to South Sudan by US After Lengthy Legal Disputes

    WASHINGTON (AP) — In May, eight men were deported from the United…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Illegal fireworks misfire, kill 8-year-old girl in California
    • Local news

    Tragic Fireworks Accident Claims Life of 8-Year-Old Girl in California

    (KTLA) – Police confirmed Saturday that an 8-year-old girl died after she…
    • Internewscast
    • July 6, 2025
    North Augusta celebrates July 4th with reopening of Living History Park
    • Local news

    Living History Park Reopens as Part of North Augusta’s July 4th Celebration

    NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. ()- Of all the July 4th celebrations Friday, North…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    7 shot, 2 killed in downtown Indianapolis mass shooting
    • Local news

    Tragic Downtown Indianapolis Shooting Leaves 2 Dead, 5 Injured

    INDIANAPOLIS – Residents are seeking answers following a downtown mass shooting early…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    SSU student injured in tornado, family discuss aftermath
    • Local news

    Sonoma State University Student Injured in Tornado: Family Reflects on Recovery Process

    A Savannah State University student, Malachi Chaney, is on the road to…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Boating safety guide for Independence Day weekend 
    • Local news

    Essential Boating Safety Tips for the Fourth of July Weekend

    SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Boating is a popular way to observe Independence…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Tropical Depression Three is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Chantal on Saturday
    • Local news

    Tropical Depression Three Anticipated to Develop into Tropical Storm Chantal by Saturday

    As it heads toward South Carolina this weekend, it’s expected to make…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Families confirm multiple campers did not survive deadly Texas flooding
    • Local news

    Families report that several campers perished in devastating Texas flooding

    AUSTIN (KXAN) – Several young girls attending Camp Mystic, a cherished summer…
    • Internewscast
    • July 6, 2025
    Tropical Storm Chantal forms in the Atlantic
    • Local news

    Tropical Storm Chantal Develops in the Atlantic Ocean

    ORLANDO, Fla. – The NHC has now upgraded Tropical Depression Three to…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Storm Team 3: Tracking Chantal & Minor Local Impacts
    • Local news

    Storm Team 3: Monitoring Chantal & Local Effects Expected

    Passing showers will continue tonight into Sunday. Winds will remain breezy, but…
    • Internewscast
    • July 6, 2025
    Camp Mystic director died while trying to save campers from Texas floods
    • US

    Camp Mystic Director Loses Life in Attempt to Rescue Campers During Texas Floods

    Dick Eastland, known for his long tenure as owner and director of…
    • Internewscast
    • July 6, 2025
    1 in 5 new car buyers take on $1,000 monthly payments
    • Local news

    20% of new car buyers are opting for $1,000 monthly payments

    (NewsNation) — Once considered rare, $1,000 car payments are fast becoming the…
    • Internewscast
    • July 6, 2025
    How weather conditions set the stage for the deadly Texas flash floods
    • Local news

    How Weather Contributed to the Devastating Flash Floods in Texas

    WASHINGTON – The air was saturated with moisture, which powered a slow-moving…
    • Internewscast
    • July 6, 2025

    How Some Millionaires in Australia Avoid Paying Taxes and Who Might Be Worse

    Avoiding tax can almost seem like a national sport in Australia, but…
    • Internewscast
    • July 6, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.