Texas officials are facing scrutiny for delays in alerting residents about flash floods in Kerrville, which killed 96 people and left over 160 still missing. At a press conference, Kerrville Police community services officer Jonathan Lamb denied any information about a possible police radio failure. The previous day, reporters had extensively questioned officials about delays in emergency communication. The event took place on July 4 when the Guadalupe River rose rapidly after heavy rainfall. At least 120 people have died in the Texas Hill Country floods, with Kerr County being the most affected. An audio recording suggested that a firefighter upstream requested authorities to alert nearby residents about the rising water at 04:22 local time, but it wasn’t until six hours later that residents were notified. The first alert from the Kerr County’s CodeRED system arrived around 90 minutes later. The county’s sheriff, Larry Leitha, stated that establishing a timeline was not his priority at the moment. The rescue efforts have not yielded any survivors, and authorities have cited lack of cell phone service, underestimation of the storm’s intensity, and public desensitization to alerts as reasons for people not evacuating. President Donald Trump signed a federal disaster declaration to provide aid and support, including the deployment of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and various rescue operations. These efforts have encountered challenges due to the extensive and hazardous debris.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq537dp2ello
State leaders in Texas are being questioned about their handling of warning systems during flooding incidents.
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