Catastrophic flooding in central Texas

So sad for all of the families affected.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/politics/texas-floods-warnings-vacancies.html

As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas
Some experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’ ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management officials.

Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on Friday morning, prompting some experts to question whether staffing shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with local emergency managers as floodwaters rose.

Texas officials appeared to blame the Weather Service for issuing forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated how much rain was coming. But former Weather Service officials said the forecasts were as good as could be expected, given the enormous levels of rainfall and the storm’s unusually abrupt escalation.

The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem, those former officials said — the loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after flash flood warnings were issued overnight.

The shortages are among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the death toll climbs from the floods. Separate questions have emerged about the preparedness of local communities, including Kerr County’s apparent lack of a local flood warning system. The county, roughly 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, is where many of the deaths occurred.

The National Weather Service’s San Angelo office, which is responsible for some of the areas hit hardest by Friday’s flooding, was missing a senior hydrologist, staff forecaster and meteorologist in charge, according to Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union that represents Weather Service workers.

The Weather Service’s nearby San Antonio office, which covers other areas hit by the floods, also had significant vacancies, including a warning coordination meteorologist and science officer, Mr. Fahy said. Staff members in those positions are meant to work with local emergency managers to plan for floods, including when and how to warn local residents and help them evacuate.

That office’s warning coordination meteorologist left on April 30, after taking the early retirement package the Trump administration used to reduce the number of federal employees, according to a person with knowledge of his departure

Mr. Sokich said that the local Weather Service offices appeared to have sent out the correct warnings. He said the challenge was getting people to receive those warnings, and then take action.

But the Trump administration’s pursuit of fewer staff members means remaining employees have less time to spend coordinating with local officials, he said

the warnings were available mid day on thursday. I have been at a camp that evacuated 500 kids..from dining hall during a fire and it is not that hard if you have plans..

every camp should have an evacuation plan, as does every school and care site. I think sometimes people who have been in one place for years do not take the further step and having professional risk assessments every 5 yrs or something. or those camps would have been moved to higher ground.

they did say the warning weather person.. who gave warning management... was vacant position at national weather service.

it is just sad all the way around.. just like the campgrounds.. that were in very risky areas.. what safety protocols did they have? probably none.

climate change means we will have more extreme events.. and we need to get ready. course fema is cutting the funds for advance planning.. and preparation. I doubt the states are going to step up and spend that money.

another contributing issue in texas is the lack of strong building codes. in CA.. we have strong codes and people scream about them.. but they do promote more safety.. and disallow building in places with high risk. or requires buildings to be strengthened or improved to meet higher safety standards.

I am very sad for all affected.. but are we thinking about the future and how to protect people more?

Get them to higher ground. A big camp here in my area of CA had to be quickly evacuated during a horrible forest fire a few years back. Camps, especially those in areas of risk, should have plans in place.

My goodness 😞 I hope for her parents they are able to find her body so they can have some closure.

I saw that post and was horrified! But, reading it carefully, I think what she is referring to as "fake" is the weather. She is a conspiracy theorist, and she believes that weather is man-made. All the hurricanes, flooding, etc. is created by man, it is not natural. 

But. this is all so sad and horrible. My heart goes out to the families and to the survivors. 

There is more....... She fits right in with MTG and Loomer...

Georgia Republican seeking a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026 is doubling down on her assertion that the flash flood that has claimed over sixty lives in Kerr County, Texas was "fake" by promoting a new conspiracy involving $175 million land theft..

On Saturday, Kandiss Taylor, who ran for governor of Georgia in 2022 with a campaign slogan of "Jesus, Guns and Babies,” questioned the tragedy in Texas by posing on X, "Fake weather. Fake hurricanes. Fake flooding. Fake. Fake. Fake," as authorities in Kerr County continued to search for bodies.

Despite facing harsh criticism, she added on Sunday by highlighting a post suggesting the weather was being manipulated as part of a "land grab" having to do with the impending construction of a natural gas power plant.

Adding a "Well…well…well" comment, she linked to a post on X from "The Patriot Voice" which claimed, "Kerrville, Texas city council just recently approved construction of a $175 Million Natural Gas Power Plant. Out of curiosity, I looked to see if there were any “smart city” or major construction projects slated for Kerrville, Texas in the near future… Lo and behold…"

The Patriot Voice's TPV_John continued, " Is it possible that weather modification is in play in Kerrville, causing Biblical levels of flooding, because a LAND GRAB may be necessary to build this plant? Much like Asheville, NC when it was found that the Government (DoD) was trying to confiscate the lithium mines there, and the flooding was apparently caused from the off shoot of a tropical storm/hurricane. JUST like today in Kerrville…"

"I think the possibility of Asheville repeating in Kerrville more PROBABLE than not. The pattern and precedent exists, many times over… Whenever the Government wants land, they either find a way to flood it out catastrophically, or burn it all down," he added.

www.rawstory.com/kandiss-taylor-2672831054/

Haven't read the first page but did anyone else know this happened July 16, 1987 as well? I just saw a survivor of that flood at a summer camp speaking about his experience. So looked it up. Yup.

Not familiar with Texas landscape. Because of the land and the way the river runs, is it not feasible to do control channels?

Wow!!!

I did see an interview where a man said he woke up to 2 feet of water in his bedroom, and that was when he realized how severe the situation had become.

But climate change is a hoax! Sounds like she wants it both ways. 🙄