Deadly Flooding Kills 89 Across Central Texas, Knock Local Station Off Air

Central Texas has experienced catastrophic flooding over the Fourth of July weekend, resulting in at least 89 deaths across six counties and significant disruption to local media coverage. Tegna's KIDY station in San Angelo went off-air due to transmitter damage caused by the floods, although it remains available via cable and satellite, while sister station KXVA in Abilene continues to broadcast updates. Among the victims is Camp Mystic, a century-old summer camp, which lost 27 campers and counselors in the disaster. The National Weather Service has issued flood watches for areas including San Antonio, Austin, and Kerr County as slow-moving thunderstorms threaten to bring more rain to already saturated regions. This large-scale disaster underscores the challenges Texas faces in managing severe flooding without extensive federal resources. Experts like Rachel Cleetus from the Union of Concerned Scientists highlight the ongoing need for comprehensive climate and energy policies to address such extreme weather events.