Kerr County officials reportedly failed to activate a powerful public alert system that could have saved lives before last weekâs devastating flood.
The Washington Post revealed that despite having the technology to turn every mobile phone in the river valley into a loud alarm, local authorities did not deploy it as the Guadalupe River swelled to record levels on July 4, inundating campsites and homes.
The system, which costs nothing, was implemented instead of an expensive siren system that county officials reportedly couldn’t get funding for.
It has also emerged that at Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors perished in the floods, FEMA had removed dozens of buildings from flood hazard maps after an appeal, likely to lower insurance costs and be subject to less arduous regulations, the Associated Press reports.
On Friday, Donald Trump visited Kerrville, Texas, to assess the damage from last week’s devastating flash flooding. The president and First Lady Melania Trump met with rescue workers involved in responding to the disaster.
There have been at least 129 deaths, and more than 160 people are missing, one week later.
FEMA let Camp Mystic operate in 100-year flood zone despite deadly warnings for years
Federal regulators repeatedly approved appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, easing oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a hazardous floodplain in the years leading up to the central Texas flash floods of July 4, according to new reporting by The Associated Press.
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More rain and possible flooding this weekend in Texas Hill Country
Parts of Texas, still reeling from devastating floods this past week, are bracing for further torrential downpours and renewed flooding. Flood watches have been issued across many counties, including those already severely impacted.
Ample moisture is set to fuel shower and storm development, with heavy rain expected for the Texas Hill Country from Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Given the recent devastation, meteorologists warn that even a modest amount of additional rain could swiftly trigger more widespread flooding.
Animals hit by deadly Texas floods get private flight to safety to find new homes
Memorial in flood-ravaged Texas city becomes focal point of community’s grief
A chain-link fence that separates Water Street in the center of Kerrville from the Guadalupe River just a few hundred feet away has become a makeshift memorial, with the flower-covered stretch serving as a focal point for a grieving community.
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Recap: Watch as Trump denies Weather Service staff cuts affected Texas flood warnings
Texas flash floods death toll rises to 129
The death toll from the devastating Texas floods has climbed to at least 129, authorities confirmed on Saturday morning, as more bodies were recovered across affected counties.
Kerr County has reported at least 103 fatalities, comprising 67 adults and 36 children, according to its Joint Information Center.
Meanwhile, in Travis County, the death count rose to nine, up from eight, a spokesperson confirmed to USA Today.
Teen who helped family escape from van is among those killed in Texas floods
Malaya Grace Hammond, 17, of Marble Falls, was in a van with her family on their way to a Christian summer camp on Saturday. It was dark and raining, and they were unable to see that a bridge had washed out in Travis County.
Malaya was able to open a door, allowing the family to escape, but she was swept away by floodwaters, family friends said. She was found Monday.
An avid lover of the arts, she expressed her creativity through painting, dancing and singing, according to her obituary.
“Her ability to harmonise, I think matched her ability to harmonise with others,” her father, Matthew Hammond, said in a video posted Thursday on Facebook. “She felt that harmony was our natural state.”
Kerr County failed to use Amber Alert-style warning system ahead of deadly flood
Kerr County officials reportedly failed to activate a powerful public alert system that could have saved lives before last weekâs devastating flood, leaving almost 100 dead and over 160 missing in the county. The Washington Post revealed that despite having the technology to turn every mobile phone in the river valley into a loud alarm, local authorities did not deploy it as the Guadalupe River swelled to record levels on July 4, inundating campsites and homes.
As the river began to flood, county officials eventually sent text message alerts, but only to pre-registered residents. Even as a federal meteorologist warned of worsening conditions and extreme risk, the more potent notification system, previously used for flood alerts, remained inactive. The National Weather Service, however, began sending its own alerts through this system from 1:14 a.m. on July 4.
The Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) is a mass notification programme used by National Weather Service meteorologists for imminent threats. Like Amber Alerts, IPAWS warnings force phones to vibrate and emit a unique, jarring tone, provided they are on and have a signal. It also enables local officials to send targeted messages.
Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, a University of Central Florida professor researching emergency management, told The Post that residents are more likely to trust messages from local government. He suggested the alert could have made a significant difference, despite patchy mobile service and many likely asleep as floodwaters surged.
For years, Kerr County officials have discussed a more robust flash-flood warning system, including the installation of expensive sirens. Lacking that infrastructure, they adopted IPAWS, which cost nothing, to alert more people.
IPAWS had been activated by Kerr County twice before, most recently in July 2024 for flash floods. Just two days after this yearâs deadly storm, amid further thunderstorms, county officials did use IPAWS to warn of another potential round of river flooding.
Trump calls reporter âevilâ for asking Texas flood question
FEMA found to have exempted buildings at old and new sites from country’s flood map hazard area
In response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county’s flood map to remove 15 of the camp’s buildings from the hazard area, a review by The Associated Press found. Records show that those buildings were part of the 99-year-old Camp Mystic Guadalupe, which was devastated by last week’s flood.
After further appeals, FEMA removed 15 more Camp Mystic structures in 2019 and 2020 from the designation. Those buildings were located on nearby Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister site that opened to campers in 2020 as part of a major expansion and suffered less damage in the flood.
Campers have said the cabins at Cypress Lake withstood significant damage, but those nicknamed “the flats” at the Guadalupe River camp were inundated.
Experts say Camp Mystic’s requests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp’s insurance premiums or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations.
Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle said the appeals were not surprising because communities and property owners have used them successfully to shield specific properties from regulation.
