Devastating flash floods ravaged central Texas, claiming over 100 lives. On July 4, the Guadalupe River, swollen by torrential rains, unleashed chaos. Kerr County bore the brunt, with 75 deaths, including 27 children from Camp Mystic.
Heavy rains -- up to 15 inches in hours -- caused the river to surge 26 feet in 45 minutes, obliterating homes, vehicles, and campsites. Emergency alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) and Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) began July 2, but Kerr County lacked a robust warning system. The tragedy has sparked debate and even finger-pointing over preparedness in a flood-prone region, as Just the News reports.
On July 2, NWS issued flood watches for Kerr and nearby counties. TDEM mobilized resources across 10 state agencies, anticipating severe weather. Yet, the speed and scale of the flooding caught many off guard.
At 1:14 a.m. on July 4, NWS warned of “life-threatening flash flooding” in Kerr and Bandera counties. Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp, suffered catastrophic losses. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham insisted camps acted swiftly, stating, “They were doing everything they could.”
Buckingham’s defense rings hollow when cell service gaps left many without warnings. “A lot of cell phones aren’t working there,” she admitted. Rural Texas deserves better than spotty communication during crises.
The Guadalupe’s unprecedented rise -- 25 to 30 feet above normal -- was a freak event, Buckingham noted: “No one has seen water of this level.” She’s right; even seasoned locals couldn’t predict this. Still, a 1987 flood killed 10 teens nearby, hinting at systemic risks.
Search-and-rescue teams, including the Cajun Navy, deployed helicopters, drones, and boats. Volunteers and the Texas National Guard scoured debris for survivors. Governor Greg Abbott vowed unlimited state resources, a promise being tested.
President Donald Trump declared Kerr County a major disaster area. Federal aid is flowing, but some Democrats, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, demand probes into NWS staffing. Their finger-pointing feels like political posturing when lives are at stake.
Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted, “Accurate weather forecasting helps avoid fatal disasters.” True, but his party’s obsession with climate narratives ignores practical fixes like better rural alerts. Texas’ rocky terrain, as Buckingham noted, makes flash floods inevitable, not just a climate boogeyman.
Dr. Christina Propst, a Houston pediatrician, posted a vile tweet wishing harm on “MAGA voters” in Kerr County. “May they get what they voted for,” she sneered, before deleting it. Blue Fish Pediatrics fired her, condemning her “politicizing tragedy.”
Propst’s outburst shows the left’s contempt for rural conservatives. Her claim that Kerr County “voted to gut FEMA” is baseless. Blue Fish’s swift response proves businesses won’t tolerate woke venom.
Misinformation also spread, with GrokAI falsely tying Trump’s 2025 budget to weak flood warnings. No evidence supports this; NOAA’s funding is complex, not a MAGA plot. Social media’s echo chambers thrive on such lies.
Buckingham acknowledged hindsight could improve future responses: “Could we do something better?” New tech, like enhanced alert systems, might help. But her point about Texas’ varied terrain -- “East of I-35 gets almost twice the rain” -- underscores the challenge.
Kerr County’s tragedy isn’t about politics; it’s about nature’s fury and human limits. “The loss is devastating,” Buckingham said, a rare understatement. Blaming camps or Trump distracts from real fixes.
Rep. Chip Roy summed up the situation: “There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing.” He’s right, but Monday morning quarterbacking won’t bring back the 27 girls or dozens of others. Texas must rebuild, mourn, and prepare -- without the woke noise.
