Flash flooding in Central Texas over Independence Day weekend has killed more than 120 people, including 27 campers and counselors at a summer camp. It is one of the deadliest flooding events to occur in the last 50 years.
Peaking at more than 22 feet, the Guadalupe River surged through the area and swept away homes, vehicles and infrastructure. The event left behind major debris, road closures and flooded neighborhoods, complicating efforts as first responders work tirelessly to locate 160 missing individuals.
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp along the river, was hit hard by the flooding after cabins were overtaken by rising waters throughout the night. The 27 victims from the camp included eight and nine-year-old girls, the youngest age group whose cabins were closest to the riverbank. Among the lives lost was Chloe Childress, a 19-year-old counselor who was set to begin college this fall.
The July 4 storm dropped more than 11 inches of rain in less than three hours, well over forecast projections. The heaviest rainfall hit Kerr County around 4 a.m. and caused an emergency alert to be issued at 4:03 a.m. Many people didn’t receive emergency messaging due to poor cell phone coverage in the area.
Earlier this week President Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Texas, providing federal assistance for recovery efforts in Kerr County. The assistance includes loans, home repairs and grants for temporary housing. Trump visited the site Friday, describing the flood as “a hundred-year catastrophe.”
With so many Texans impacted by the flood, members of our UM community are feeling the weight of the tragedy. Mercer Peakes is a rising junior at UM from Houston who says the devastation hit close to home.
“Two of the little girls were students at my alma mater and one of the older girls was an acquaintance of my sister. Tragically, none of them made it through the storm,” he said. “It has been really hard on everyone here in Houston.”
Peakes said that the intense weather event coupled with the frequency of floods in Texas was a dangerous combination in Kerr County.
“I think it has become a bit normalized. This leads to a lackadaisical attitude instead of being appropriately prepared and cautious of upcoming storms,” the junior said. “I have never seen videos like the ones of the water rising as quickly as it did in Hill County.”
The devastation has left many Texans not only grieving, but questioning how such a catastrophe unfolded so quickly and whether it could have been better anticipated. As storms become more severe, concerns are growing as to how prepared local and national agencies are to respond.
In the wake of the deadly flood, many look to the 600 layoffs at the National Weather Service last month. The Trump administration has forced layoffs and retirements for tens of thousands of government employees, including scientists in agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which houses the National Weather Service.
A funding lapse and subsequent shutdown of the Austin/San Antonio Weather Service forced all data and services to temporarily shut down last April. The warning coordination meteorologist of the local agency took a buyout from the Trump administration during the lapse, ending his 32-year career.
As weather events continue to become more intense and extreme, experts warn that human-initiated climate change and global warming worsens these patterns. Warm air holds more moisture than cool air, releasing more precipitation from a warmer atmosphere. A report by European scientists found that the heavy rain was worsened by human-driven climate change in Texas.
Florida lies on the Gulf of Mexico, which has experienced “significant warming” according to NOAA. Two major hurricanes last season in Florida left residents wondering just how severe the next storm will be and if global warming played any part in the severity of the events.
With over 20% of staff leaving the Federal Relief Management Agency , experts warn that staff shortages may contribute to a lack of preparation for future storms. Rick Spinrad, an administrator at NOAA until last January, told the Guardian that warnings of future hurricanes may be less reliable.
“If I were a citizen of Texas, Florida or Georgia, I wouldn’t be sure how well warned I would be of a hurricane,” Spinrad said. “And if a hurricane was heading for a major city, I’m not confident FEMA would be able to respond to the forecasted warnings.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz said that Trump should not be blamed for a natural disaster, and later reports will show areas of improvement for future weather events.
“Now is not the time for partisan finger pointing and attacks,” Cruz said. “After we come through the process of rebuilding, there will naturally be a period of retrospection.”
While political leaders debate accountability, Peakes said that the people of Houston are focused on healing, looking to come together as a community during a moment of profound loss.
“I think the people of Houston are just trying to make sense of the whole situation,” he said. “It gives me some hope to see how unified our city has been throughout this tragedy. I am hoping that this will bring a significant change to prevent this from ever happening again.”