quasi Report This Comment Date: July 07, 2025 12:10PM
Just a moment ago the local news here reported there are 82 dead now.
quasi Report This Comment Date: July 08, 2025 12:00PM
Now over 100 deaths.
pro_junior Report This Comment Date: July 08, 2025 09:21PM
Hard to believe people want to use a NATURAL DISASTER and the tragedy of death
for political bullshit...
I guess I should be used to it by now, but I'm not.
as per Grok:
Adequate Warnings Issued: Independent meteorologists, such as Matt Lanza and
Chris Vagasky, and former NWS officials, like Alan Gerard, assert that the NWS
issued timely and accurate warnings. A flood watch was issued Thursday
afternoon, July 3, followed by flash flood warnings that night and early Friday,
July 4, with lead times of over three hours. The Austin/San Antonio office had
extra staff (five instead of two) on duty, and weather balloon launches at Del
Rio, near the flood epicenter, occurred as planned.
Unpredictable Storm Severity: Experts note that the storm, fueled by Tropical
Storm Barry’s remnants, was exceptionally difficult to predict due to its
localized, extreme rainfall—up to 12 inches in hours, far exceeding the
forecasted 3-8 inches. Quantitative precipitation forecasting remains a
challenge, and no evidence suggests staffing issues directly caused the
underestimation.
Local Factors: Some blame lies with local officials and camp management for not
evacuating despite warnings, possibly due to desensitization to frequent flood
alerts or poor communication. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly and Texas Emergency
Management Chief Nim Kidd noted the unexpected severity, and a delay in public
warnings (e.g., Kerrville’s Facebook post at 5 a.m.) may have compounded the
issue.
Trump Administration’s Defense: The White House called accusations linking
cuts to deaths “shameful and disgusting,” emphasizing that the NWS performed
its duties. President Trump dismissed the need for additional staff, labeling
the flood a “once-in-a-100-years” event.
While staffing shortages and reduced monitoring raise concerns about NWS
capacity, experts widely agree the agency’s forecasts and warnings for this
event were as accurate as possible given the storm’s unpredictability. The
proposed 2026 NOAA budget cuts, which would further limit research, were not yet
in effect, so their impact is speculative. However, vacancies in key roles may
have strained coordination with local officials, potentially exacerbating
communication breakdowns. Local factors, like delayed public alerts and failure
to evacuate a known floodplain, likely played a larger role than NWS
performance. The political divide—Democrats emphasizing cuts, Republicans
dismissing them as irrelevant—clouds objective assessment, with both sides
leveraging the tragedy for
No definitive evidence proves that NWS budget cuts directly caused the Texas
flood deaths. The NWS issued timely warnings, but staffing vacancies and local
response failures may have contributed to the outcome. Future cuts could worsen
forecasting capabilities, but this event highlights broader issues in emergency
preparedness and communication. For more details, see sources like The Guardian
or NOAA’s budget proposals.
quasi Report This Comment Date: July 09, 2025 03:32PM
Death toll over 100 with 171 reported missing. Living in an area prone to
having hurricanes, I, and our local forecasters, are uncomfortable with the cuts
to NOAA and FEMA. I've only benefited personally from FEMA once when I was
reimbursed for a small generator I bought after Hurricane Charley in 2004, but
local governments depend on it for assistance with cleanup and repairs to
infrastructure.
pro_junior Report This Comment Date: July 09, 2025 04:38PM
You've lived in an area prone to hurricanes for how long? And you need the
Government to tell you when to evacuate?
