Texas Floods Kill Over 50, Officials and Weather Service Face Scrutiny

At least 50 people, including 15 children, died after flash floods devastated Kerr County, Texas, with the Guadalupe River surging nearly 30 feet above normal and overwhelming areas such as Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp where many victims were found. Residents and officials have criticized the delayed warnings from the National Weather Service, which did not issue a flood watch until 1:18 p.m. the day before the floods, and only later issued flash flood emergencies. The agency has faced scrutiny partly due to recent staffing cuts under President Trump’s administration, which saw around 600 employees fired and nearly half of forecast offices operating with significant vacancies. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged the difficulty of predicting weather but cited the need to update the National Weather Service’s aging systems, with the Trump Administration working on reforms to improve warning capabilities. Local officials have defended their response, with Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy noting the inevitable second-guessing following such a disaster. Survivors like Christopher Flowers have called for an external alert system, similar to tornado warnings, that would provide immediate evacuation orders to prevent future loss of life.