Flash Flood in Texas,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe anyone would go so low as to show schadenfreude. Truly disgusting.

You don’t understand the definition of schadenfreude.

+1

We are disgusted that this happened. We are even more disgusted that the level of loss may have prevented. FAFO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love all this finger pointing! We know it all starts at the top ……… the orange idiot.

Grow up.

Truth hurts ….

It’s not the truth and you’re not educating, persuading, or helping. You’re just being an idiot. You can dislike the president and deplore his budget cuts without being a psychopath or parroting gibberish. Cause and effect matter. Read the articles at the above links—or do you prefer to just hang out at the level of other nematodes?

Staff half the size it was before Trump. It’s like when anyone tries to say something about gun control after a mass shooting. Immediately get dumped on for being “insensitive”. We tried to warn you.

[Anonymous]

Don’t come crying for FEMA or federal funds now Abbott. You want to run your own show in Texas, well now you can.

“Governor Greg Abbott’s office responded to KPRC 2’s request for comment, saying Texas is well-prepared to handle emergency management with or without FEMA.”

“Texas has built the strongest emergency management operation in the nation,” said Andrew Mahaleris, the governor’s press secretary. “Governor Abbott has full confidence that the Texas Division of Emergency Management will be able to swiftly take action when disaster strikes.”

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/06/11/texas-is-ready-abbott-responds-to-trumps-fema-exit-strategy/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Residents have no one to blame except themselves. They, as taxpayers don’t want to use their tax dollars to pay for a warning system. They want less government. They are RED. Basically, MAGA Trumpers. Reap what you sow. Listen to the warnings. Those poor little girls, drowning, suffering.

As of now, the warning system appears to have been working per Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization:

"The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm.”

https://www.newsweek.com/weather-service-staffing-clearly-concern-deadly-texas-floods-2095053

The charts seem to show the flash flood occurred at the worst possible time, with waters spiking after 12am, but especially from 3am to 5am, with likely near-zero visibility.

Flash flooding is difficult to predict and avoid:

Flash floods form rapidly
According to the National Weather Service, a flash flood is flooding that begins within six hours, and often in as little as three hours, of heavy rainfall.

Waters rise so quickly that people are caught off guard, according to the weather service. Many people run into trouble while traveling. If at home or work, the water can rise so quickly that people are trapped before they have time to think about escape.

That is just what happened to residents along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County and the surrounding area after at least 10 inches (25 centimeters) poured from the sky early Friday morning.

Fast-moving waters along the river rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday, and flash flood warnings and flood watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas.

https://apnews.com/article/flash-flood-warning-watch-texas-986af31b0402a7a721fd9cc275622457

Families are still waiting to find their children. Take it down several notches or get off the internet today. You’ve lost track of your humanity.

But it's the government's fault for not providing a detailed evacuation plan and checklist for every citizen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love all this finger pointing! We know it all starts at the top ……… the orange idiot.

Grow up.

Truth hurts ….

It’s not the truth and you’re not educating, persuading, or helping. You’re just being an idiot. You can dislike the president and deplore his budget cuts without being a psychopath or parroting gibberish. Cause and effect matter. Read the articles at the above links—or do you prefer to just hang out at the level of other nematodes?

Staff half the size it was before Trump. It’s like when anyone tries to say something about gun control after a mass shooting. Immediately get dumped on for being “insensitive”. We tried to warn you.

You could quadruple the staff and it wouldn't have helped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love all this finger pointing! We know it all starts at the top ……… the orange idiot.

Grow up.

Truth hurts ….

It’s not the truth and you’re not educating, persuading, or helping. You’re just being an idiot. You can dislike the president and deplore his budget cuts without being a psychopath or parroting gibberish. Cause and effect matter. Read the articles at the above links—or do you prefer to just hang out at the level of other nematodes?

Staff half the size it was before Trump. It’s like when anyone tries to say something about gun control after a mass shooting. Immediately get dumped on for being “insensitive”. We tried to warn you.

You could quadruple the staff and it wouldn't have helped.

Keep telling yourself that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love all this finger pointing! We know it all starts at the top ……… the orange idiot.

Grow up.

Truth hurts ….

It’s not the truth and you’re not educating, persuading, or helping. You’re just being an idiot. You can dislike the president and deplore his budget cuts without being a psychopath or parroting gibberish. Cause and effect matter. Read the articles at the above links—or do you prefer to just hang out at the level of other nematodes?

Staff half the size it was before Trump. It’s like when anyone tries to say something about gun control after a mass shooting. Immediately get dumped on for being “insensitive”. We tried to warn you.

You could quadruple the staff and it wouldn't have helped.

Keep telling yourself that.

The only way to help these campers was to send a government official to the camp to watch the flood waters and tell them to evacuate. The NWS doesn't do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t come crying for FEMA or federal funds now Abbott. You want to run your own show in Texas, well now you can.

“Governor Greg Abbott’s office responded to KPRC 2’s request for comment, saying Texas is well-prepared to handle emergency management with or without FEMA.”

“Texas has built the strongest emergency management operation in the nation,” said Andrew Mahaleris, the governor’s press secretary. “Governor Abbott has full confidence that the Texas Division of Emergency Management will be able to swiftly take action when disaster strikes.”

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/06/11/texas-is-ready-abbott-responds-to-trumps-fema-exit-strategy/

He can rely on his "prayer" and see how that works out.

[Anonymous]

The same people who vote to defund programs and initiatives to prevent tragedies like these, are the same people who didn't think anything needed to change after Sandy Hook. And the same people who call themselves "pro-life."

It's astounding.

[Anonymous]

Texas, under Republican political leadership for about three decades, remains largely indifferent — or outright hostile — to placing regulations on business and industry to reduce emissions.

As a result, state government agencies responsible for the water supply, roads, electricity, agriculture and the environment are not paying attention to projections that say alarming changes are coming, including severe droughts and increasingly frequent weather-related disasters.

https://climate.mit.edu/posts/texas-political-leaders-are-indifferent-if-not-hostile-climate-change-mitigation

[Anonymous]

Lots of residents do not listen to warnings. Not just in Texas, but in Florida and the Carolina’sfor hurricanes.

They don’t want to pay for a warning system they are not going to listen to anyways.

How do you help stupid! How?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t come crying for FEMA or federal funds now Abbott. You want to run your own show in Texas, well now you can.

“Governor Greg Abbott’s office responded to KPRC 2’s request for comment, saying Texas is well-prepared to handle emergency management with or without FEMA.”

“Texas has built the strongest emergency management operation in the nation,” said Andrew Mahaleris, the governor’s press secretary. “Governor Abbott has full confidence that the Texas Division of Emergency Management will be able to swiftly take action when disaster strikes.”

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/06/11/texas-is-ready-abbott-responds-to-trumps-fema-exit-strategy/

Abbott just ansked and Trump is giving him funds. Only for boot lickers.

[Anonymous]

Someone up-thread posted a link to a long read in Texas Monthly about Camp Mystic: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-not-so-happy-campers/

It's an amazing read, although the story gets super convoluted as it gets into the details of a nasty standoff among the heirs of the camp's founders, one of whom (Dick) had managed the camp for many years along with his wife (Tweety). The story is from 2011, so obviously lots has happened since then, but the focus is on a battle between Dick and Tweety vs. his siblings and other family members over money. Other family members argued that Dick and Tweety were enriching themselves at the expense of the rest of the family.

It looks like they settled in 2012 and bought out the other family members. Dick was killed in last week's flood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a central Texan, a Democrat, a lifelong visitor to Kerrville, a former camper there, a prospective retiree to the area, and a friend and relative to many who have been impacted by this - I don't cast blame anywhere. There is so much complicated history and culture in that area of the state that is hard to understand from the outside. The external criticism will only make it more insular.

And blame is beside the point in any case. I know people can't help themselves though.

No doubt there will be an implementation of more effective warning signals along the Guadalupe river - like sirens. There is little to no cell service (on purpose) so they may also increase cell tower numbers. However the sirens will only be as effective as the NWS data and the alertness of local officials. Mystic and the other impacted camps are where the kids of the most influential families in the state spend their summer so there will be changes but they will not blame the camps. However, my guess is that at least one or more will have to shutter completely because they are not the most financially stable organizations in this day and age.

You're ridiculous. Parents have already gone on record blaming the camp. Children have died, PP. You're not reading the situation well. Of course the governor and other officials are putting a brave face on it, but they're passing the buck. Parents of children who died WILL blame everyone in charge, and they will be entirely right!

I have not seen a thing that the governor said so I don’t even know what you’re talking about there nor do I care what he says. My point in my post is that there’s a lot of blaming going on by people who don’t really understand the full story. The parents can blame whoever they want. But my prediction is that the camps will not bear the brunt of it.

I’m unsure what else the camps were supposed to do other than what they did but that is where my ignorance comes in. I guess you can say they should not have relied on local officials but rather have direct communication with the NWS (if that is even a thing). Or they should have pressed harder for the warning sirens years ago. But again, the sirens only work if the local officials are doing their jobs and have the data they need. Or they could have put the cabins higher up even though the water has never in the camp history gotten that high much less that fast (and ditto to several other camps in the area.)

I also can’t emphasize enough that there are flash flood warnings often out there, but they are akin to stay home and don’t drive. Not evacuation orders. If you will note, there were no evacuation orders of any kind given by anyone thus the missing people all along the river, even in town, not just the camp.

And I’m going to assume that the person blaming the counselors is a troll. There are at least two counselors missing from Mystic. They were the counselors in the cabin that was most affected. I’ve personally heard stories about 19-year-old counselors who broke windows to get out and led their campers up to safety and sang songs with them under a tree in the dark in the pouring rain.

Ignorance indeed.

1. The Governor just said: "Now we know prayers work" - because not more peopled died, presumably? He's a big climate change denier. That remark just shows he won't accept any blame whatsoever and is desperately trying to squeeze praise out of this.

2. The county the camp is in refused to upgrade the flood warning system that they themselves identified as being old and inefficient. Apparently they've been debating it for years and nothing got done, because some middle managers thought funds should go elsewhere.

3. The camp should not have had cabins so low next to a river that is known to flood. Other camps did not have cabins set up so low.

So right off the bat, 24hrs after the tragedy, you have a Governor who is proud of the outcome, a county whose kids died because it refused to put in a better warning system (unlike the county next to it), and a camp with cabins too close to the river, unlike other camps.

YOU THINK THERE'S NO BLAME TO GO AROUND?

The camp should have had a warning system and a safety plan given how many they had at the camp. There is tons of blame but ultimately it’s on the camp.

No, the blame is spread equally. A camp cannot have a warning system: it can move cabins to higher ground and hold practice evacuations, however. It's the countries who set up the weather alert sirens. The next county over apparently did that, but this county did not. And the Governor is toxic.

Why can’t a camp have a warning system? I mean I agree it would be better if the county had it, but why can’t a camp set up a siren or something that the first person who realizes something is amiss can activate, the way a fire alarm gets activated by the first person who sees flames.

You would still need someone paying attention for watches and warnings from NWS, it wouldn’t be automatic, but it would be better than putting little girls to bed in a flood plain where there had been 4 catastrophic floods in 99 years, and then going to bed during a flash flood watch.

PP you replied to. Because it's simply way too expensive. Warning systems are linked to official meteorological stations and need computer models, rain gauges, automatic readings of same, distribution of alerts, digital and mechanical, and personnel that's trained to monitor the system 24/7. A camp could never, ever afford something like that. The smallest met warning systems are county systems, integrated into emergency management offices. Which that county refused to upgrade. Hence why the county is very much to blame!

The county needs a state-of-the-art system, and when it activates, each hospital, nursing home, school, workplace, summer camp, etc, have their own evac procedure. That's how it's usually done.

Make no mistake, people. There's a ton of blame to be handed out to all levels of government plus the camp.

Yes, the government is to blame for not installing a state of the art system for a random rural county in Texas. I can tell you never lived anywhere rural! Lol

I don’t even have county water and only recently got WiFi, there is no way the government can afford sirens for every square inch of the US. Do you have any idea how large this country is? I’m in tornado country and we don’t even have sirens for that, they drive around in a truck with a siren attached as if that is going to help. It’s not practical. You fend for yourself and are grateful to do it. We don’t even want the government’s help with this stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone up-thread posted a link to a long read in Texas Monthly about Camp Mystic: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-not-so-happy-campers/

It's an amazing read, although the story gets super convoluted as it gets into the details of a nasty standoff among the heirs of the camp's founders, one of whom (Dick) had managed the camp for many years along with his wife (Tweety). The story is from 2011, so obviously lots has happened since then, but the focus is on a battle between Dick and Tweety vs. his siblings and other family members over money. Other family members argued that Dick and Tweety were enriching themselves at the expense of the rest of the family.

It looks like they settled in 2012 and bought out the other family members. Dick was killed in last week's flood.

The Hunt oil family - billionaire mega donors to the GOP - had six cousins at Camp Mystic at the time of the flood. One of them tragically died, an 8 year-old.

The current GOP Congressman that represents this area of TX has daughter who was at Camp Mystic during the flood. She evacuated safely.

This place truly is for the wealthiest of the Texan elite. I don’t think people understand how this is going to shake things up in Texas.