Topline
Kerr County officials Tuesday appeared to dodge questions about how soon they were notified about deadly flash floods in central Texas and who was responsible for immediate response efforts, as law enforcement warned the death toll from the flooding will likely rise.
The Kerr County judge said a warning system was not in place before flash floods killed more than … More
Key Facts
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, responding to a question about how county residents were alerted about the flash floods, said a timeline about the alerts is “not my priority at this time,” adding, “There are three priorities. That’s locating the people out there, identifying, notifying the next of kin—that is what I’m taking as my job as sheriff.”
Lt. Col. Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens, the state’s parks and wildlife department, deflected other questions about how quickly Kerr County officials responded to the flash flooding, saying officials were “focused on bringing people home.”
Leitha said he was not notified about flash floods until sometime between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. CDT on July 4, about three hours after the National Weather Service’s first public warning alert.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday the state’s legislature will address issues with the emergency alert system in the coming weeks, noting officials would “address every aspect of this storm” to “prevent deadly flooding events like this in the future.”
What To Watch For
Kerr County officials are scheduled to host a briefing covering the floods at 6 p.m. EDT.
Big Number
161. That’s the estimated number of people missing in Kerr County, Abbott said Tuesday. At least 10 people are missing in Travis County, while local officials have recovered who they believe to be the “last victim” in Williamson County, according to Texas Department of Public Safety Col. Freeman Martin.
How Soon Was Texas Alerted About Flash Floods?
The National Weather Service said in a statement that flash flood warnings were issued that gave “preliminary lead times of more than three hours.” Later alerts reportedly warned of a “life-threatening situation” in central Texas. On July 4, the agency said flash flooding was “likely” in the region, with “significant impacts possible” as up to six inches of rain was forecast in some areas. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said Friday “no one knew this kind of flood was coming” and the county “had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here.” Despite suggesting officials were caught off guard, Kelly said Kerr County does not have a warning system and he “can’t answer” why evacuations weren’t carried out.
Key Background
At least 108 people have died after flash flooding in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, according to Kerr County officials. Of those, Leitha said 87 were recovered in Kerr County, including 30 children. Some campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp by the Guadalupe River, are still missing, Leitha said. Debate over the region’s response to the flooding, described by the White House as a “once-in-a-generation natural disaster,” has ensued in recent days. Texas Division of Emergency Management chief W. Nim Kidd said Friday early National Weather Service forecasts “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem applauded the agency, though she noted President Donald Trump wanted to improve its “ancient” warning system.
