Final Friday (July 4th), catastrophic floods surged by means of central Texas, devastating cities and leaving a loss of life toll that at the moment stands at the very least 89 individuals together with many from a non-public women’ summer time camp. The point of interest of that flooding lies in Kerr County, northwest of San Antonio. Dalton Rice, town supervisor of Kerrville, spoke briefly to reporters on Sunday (July 5) earlier than dashing out to keep away from additional questions, a transfer that earned him scorn on-line.

Earlier than his abrupt departure, a reported requested Rice: “One of many questions that also hasn’t been answered three days into that is regardless of TEM’s warning on July 2nd and July third that one thing like this might have occurred, that the menace existed, why that data didn’t get down on the camps and why they weren’t evacuated?”

Rice replied, “We need to guarantee that we proceed to focus — we nonetheless have 11 lacking kids that we need to get reunited with their households,” town supervisor replied. “Till we will get reunited with our households, we aren’t going to cease till we do.” As he turned to go away, he added, “So, thanks.”The reported shouted, “Sir, was any emergency alert given out on the 4th that morning of?”, “including, “Did anybody get an alert?” As Rice and others exited, the reporter shouted, “Sir, there are households who deserve higher than that!”

Rice additionally got here underneath fireplace for claiming that he noticed no problem after jogging in one of many flooded areas at 3 A.M. earlier than the rains got here. The dearth of response from Kerr County was compounded by the truth that they don’t have an enhanced flood warning system, regardless of residents pushing for one.
In line with the Texas Tribune, there was a invoice within the state legislature to determine such a system, nevertheless it was defeated on account of value issues from fiscal conservatives. Even when it was handed, the system was not anticipated to take impact till after September 1.

The Trump administration can also be underneath fireplace for needlessly dismantling elements of the Nationwide Climate Service in addition to FEMA. In line with reporting by CNN, Secretary of Homeland Safety Kirsti Noem appeared on Fox & Pals on Monday (July 7) and said that she didn’t see any breakdown in native emergency warning programs, and that Texas’ response is “what President Trump has envisioned for FEMA, is straight away permitting the state to do the response and supporting them each method that they’ll.”

1. CBS Information Texas