Texas lawmaker wants investigation into weather alert system and storm preparedness
Source: NPR
Updated July 7, 2025 2:59 PM ET
As the death toll rises following catastrophic floods in Central Texas over the holiday weekend, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, says officials owe a thorough investigation to find out what went wrong in warning and evacuating residents.
Flash flooding in Texas killed at least 90 people over the Fourth of July weekend, with most reported in Kerr County, about two hours northwest of San Antonio.
Many people in the county live along the Guadalupe River, which rose over 26 feet in 45 minutes early Friday morning when heavy storms started. In the days since, local officials have grappled with tough questions about why people who live along the river were not warned to evacuate.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of possible heavy showers on Wednesday and upgraded Thursday to a flood watch, which is when conditions make flooding possible. A flash flood warning, meaning flooding is imminent or happening, wasn't declared until early Friday morning, after nearly a foot of rain had already fallen.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/07/nx-s1-5458506/texas-floods-alert-investigation
Part of Joaquin's district was flooded last month with 13 lives lost.
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