Summary
Nearly 80 people died in flash floods in central Texas, with rescue efforts still underway and the death toll expected to rise. There are questions about whether people were warned quickly enough, as the Guadalupe River rose rapidly, causing severe flooding. The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service issued warnings, but some areas lacked cell phone coverage for alerts.
Key Facts
- Nearly 80 people died in flash floods in central Texas, primarily in Kerr County.
- The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, leading to the floods.
- The Texas Division of Emergency Management activated emergency resources due to flood threats on Wednesday.
- The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Kerr County on Thursday, ahead of the flooding.
- Flash flood warnings were issued for Kerr County early Friday morning, with increasing urgency.
- Some areas did not have cell phone coverage, limiting the reach of alerts.
- Kerr County does not have its own warning system due to the high cost.
- The National Weather Service and Texas officials discussed the challenges of alerting people in remote areas.
