During a tense legislative hearing after the tragic July 4 floods, Texas emergency chief Nim Kidd informed lawmakers that the state is deficient in coordination, communication, and funding required for an effective response to natural disasters. The hearing, which elicited heartfelt testimony and critical examination of local agencies, revealed fundamental weaknesses in Texas’ emergency management system.
After flash floods during the July 4 weekend killed 136 people in Texas, including hundreds of children in Kerr County summer camps near the Guadalupe River, senators questioned state and local emergency management on Wednesday.
In testimony before a joint House and Senate committee, Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Chief Nim Kidd urged lawmakers to overhaul the state's communication with hundreds of local governments. “There’s no funding, no carrot, no stick” for collaboration, Kidd added. “That is why we keep failing at the same thing.”
Kidd said TDEM lacks resources to help local governments build corrective action plans following large catastrophes and warned of communication disruptions. He said forecasts had “no indication” of the rainfall's magnitude or location less than 12 hours before Kerr County's devastating flooding.
Lawmakers worried that local officials may not have received or acted on critical overnight flood warnings. Kidd stated, “There is no system in place today to ensure that county judge X or mayor Y or emergency manager Z is getting the same information that we are,” prompting tough questions from Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio) and Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-George).
Schwertner blasted the lack of local response: “We can have sirens, but if someone doesn’t turn them on, they’re no good.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers criticized the Upper Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA) for rejecting a $950,000 zero-interest loan and $50,000 grant in 2024 to develop a $1 million flood warning system. UGRA General Manager Tara Bushnoe defended the choice, but Sen. Schwertner termed it “disturbing” because the agency utilized its $3 million reserves for property tax cuts instead of safety upgrades.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick want the state to fund actual sirens in flood-prone Kerr County. Gov. Greg Abbott wants lawmakers to prioritize emergency communications, disaster assistance, and flood preparation in the special session, which will also include redistricting and THC regulation.
Houston Democratic Rep. Ann Johnson chastised colleagues who dodged blame. I appreciate the praise, but this committee exists because 137 people died, she remarked.
Experts say sirens will not stop future calamities. “This is a people issue,” said former Lower Colorado River Authority emergency manager Robert Cullick. “Good training, good communications, and everyone knowing their job.”
A unified flood warning system for the Guadalupe River basin could cost about $1.5 million, according to Rice University's SSPEED Center director Philip Bedient. Currently, each Texas county determines whether to implement safety measures, leaving flood-prone areas vulnerable.
Over 6,000 Texans have filed for FEMA aid, and most homes in Kerr County lack flood insurance. Lawmakers must make critical decisions regarding relief funding and catastrophe resiliency.
Kerrville hosts a second hearing on July 31.
