State
BY HANNAH NORTON
Texas lawmakers vow to fund warning sirens after Central Texas floods
On the agenda
Beginning June 21, Gov. Greg Abbott asked lawmakers to look into:
Improving early warning systems and emergency communications
In the wake of flooding that killed at least 137 people in Central Texas over the July 4 weekend, state lawmakers have proposed allocating funding for early warning sirens along the Guadalupe River and other flood- prone areas. A previously scheduled special legislative session began July 21. While meteorologists say Central Texas is prone to flash floods, some officials said they were caught off guard by the flooding in Kerr, Travis and Williamson counties. “We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here,” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told reporters July 4. The National Weather Service issued multiple alerts related to the storm and declared a “flash flood emergency” for Kerr County around 4 a.m. July 4, Community Impact reported. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he thought
the flooding was so deadly because it “came while everyone was sleeping.” “Some didn’t wake up. They never heard the storm was coming, and they lost their lives,” Patrick said in a July 8 interview. A bill that would have provided funding to help local governments acquire emergency alert systems stalled during Texas’ regular legislative session, which ended June 2. “That bill would not have gone into effect until Sept. 1 of this year, so it would not have helped this current disaster,” Rep. Drew Darby, R-San
Helping communities prepare for future disasters
Providing funding for communities impacted by the floods
Abbott’s 18-item special session agenda also includes congressional redistricting, THC regulations and new property tax rules.
Angelo, said in a July 9 interview. “But the time to respond is now, in order to prevent disasters in the future, or at least try to limit them.”
SOURCE: TEXAS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Next steps
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On July 23 in Austin, a bipartisan panel of Texas House and Senate lawmakers heard from at least 17 state and local leaders about their response to the July 4-5 floods. A second committee hearing was scheduled for July 31 in hard-hit Kerrville. “The broken hearts and the shattered dreams [are] not something we can fix in a hearing today,” committee co-chair Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, said July 23. “But we can sure show we have compassion and empathy for that loss and that we’re there walking with them.”
Frequent floods
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A large stretch of Central Texas is known as “flash flood alley” due to its unique geography and weather patterns that make it susceptible to intense flooding.
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Key:
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Flash flood alley
Colorado River
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The Guadalupe River basin has been deemed “one of the three most dangerous regions” in the nation for flash flooding.
1 Austin 2 Brady 3 Dallas 4 Kerrville
5 San Antonio 6 San Marcos 7 Uvalde 8 Waco
Guadalupe River
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
SOURCES: ACCUWEATHER, GUADALUPE-BLANCO RIVER AUTHORITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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