Officials say warnings issued, but lack
of alert system left many unprepared for flood
Associated Press,
by
John O'Connor
Original Article
Posted By: NorthernDog,
7/5/2025 9:09:02 PM
The monstrous, swift-moving flood that swept through the Hill Country of Texas on Friday, killing at least 27 people and leaving many more missing, was a flash flood, the nation's top storm-related killer. Among those missing are more than 20 girls attending a summer camp. (Snip) On Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch, estimating rising water of up to 7 inches (17 centimeters) in spots. A "watch" means conditions are favorable for a flood and people should be prepared, but hazardous conditions might not develop. But the watch was upgraded to a flood warning overnight, a
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
john56 7/5/2025 9:20:53 PM (No. 1973342)
A day or two before the storm, a retired San Antonio TV meterologist, Steve Browne, made a post on facebook where he mentioned the similarities of a "rain bomb" storm that hit this area on the July 4th weekend in 2002, which I remember as well. I don't believe that the local weather folks predicted anything near what happened on Thursday night/Friday morning.
But it's been a number of years since major storms in the upper Hill Country (1987, 2002) and a lot of folks have relocated to that area as well as many summer camps as the Guadalupe River is popular for tubing, rafting, and swimming. We often fall into the "boy who cried wolf" and overlook the warnings.
I go by the rule that you have to be lucky every day and only need to be unlucky once.
18 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
stablemoney 7/5/2025 9:42:43 PM (No. 1973344)
It was a perfect storm. Warnings came after everyone had gone to bed. Hope for rain in West Texas in July was lost long ago. My sister lives in the county just north, and they have been in a drought for the last 5 years. They don't have much expectation of rain.
10 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
caljeepgirl 7/5/2025 9:50:55 PM (No. 1973350)
FYI, excellent donation site!! https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201
2 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Catherine 7/5/2025 9:58:49 PM (No. 1973352)
This was tragic and heartbreaking, but it was not President Trumps fault as the media tries to say. There were afternoons back home, Louisiana, where we got 10 inches of rain in a couple of hours. I once had to wade through knee deep water to get to the house. No one blamed whoever the president was. Rain happens. Storms happen. Tragedy happens. My sympathies to all those involved.
28 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Safari Man 7/5/2025 10:38:38 PM (No. 1973353)
Dimocrats are trying to exploit this tragedy for political gain is one of the most disgusting things I've seen them do. They really need to pay a price for this.
13 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
chance_232 7/5/2025 11:00:22 PM (No. 1973357)
Granted, I'm a news and weather junkie. I check the weather apps and weather radar frequently. If I'm not checking electronically, I'm watching the sky.
7 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Heil Liberals 7/6/2025 12:00:33 AM (No. 1973363)
Don’t build on a flood plain that is subject to flash floods. People rarely learn from history - ancient or recent.
5 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
DVC 7/6/2025 12:25:11 AM (No. 1973366)
We get annoying phone alerts about children, almost always a father 'kidnapping ' his child from a motger in some custody issue.
Flash flooding warnings via cell phones would seem to be very worthwhile. They had 45 minutes for tge water to rise, and even with half that, it was probably enough time to get most people to higher ground.
5 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Safari Man 7/6/2025 1:29:56 AM (No. 1973373)
The government issues so many warnings and watches they I have personally tuned them out. They might as well be crying wolf. Of the hundred or two flash flood warnings I’ve heard in my life, i can’t think of a single one that i have reacted to other than to just think “ok…”.
3 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
philsner 7/6/2025 7:13:15 AM (No. 1973412)
The liberal "alert system" would not have changed a thing. But remember, George Bush owned a weather machine that directed a hurricane to New Orleans.
Never, ever, believe anything written by the AP.
6 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
felixcat 7/6/2025 10:39:28 AM (No. 1973494)
I receive flood, thunderstorms, snowstorms, wind, etc alerts on my cell phone. However, I don't carry my phone around with me 24/7 - and when at home, it's in my purse so I sometimes miss these alerts when first issued. If an alert was issued after the girls and adults went to sleep at the campground - they're not going to be aware. It's just a tragic perfect storm of too much rain, too fast, etc.
0 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
JimJr 7/6/2025 8:34:20 PM (No. 1973674)
Weather Radio. Works 24 hours a day. Not tied to cell networks. $50. Get one.
0 people like this.
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Death toll is now nearing 50. No one was apparently monitoring the worsening weather forecast.