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July 14, 2025
The daily reports of the many dead and missing from
Central Texas flooding are so very disturbing. Families
are trying to cope with unimaginable loss. With so
many technological resources, this many deaths should not
have happened. My heart is with those directly
affected and my deep gratitude with the first responders
and supportive volunteers.
Last Sunday evening, I joined a Community Prayer
Gathering at Casis Elementary, mourning the loss of those
swept away in the Guadalupe River, including an 8-year-old
Casis student. Now we know that a second Casis
student, another at neighboring Highland Park, and a 14
month old infant also drowned. And, of course, we
have had additional losses right here in Travis,
Williamson, and Burnet counties.
To avoid more deadly disasters whether from floods,
hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, or other types of extreme
weather, we need accountability and meaningful changes to
provide greater public safety. I believe that
failures at the Kerr County, State, and Federal levels all
contributed to this catastrophe. The county alert
system was deficient, and the State failed to provide
requested support for a better system.
Concerned that a lack of resources impeded federal
disaster alerts and responses, I have been seeking
answers about the dangers arising from Trump’s
widespread federal staffing cuts and hiring freezes for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and
the National Weather Service (NWS). Six weeks before
this tragedy, I raised questions asking about how the NWS
office in Austin/San Antonio could be prepared for extreme
weather with a critical 22% employee vacancy rate.
The Administration was unresponsive to this and my follow
up inquiries.
Following the floods, I again contacted NOAA regarding
how the local NWS office actually operated as this disaster
began to unfold. The positions, which were vacant at
the NWS Austin/San Antonio office, performed crucial roles
to provide timely, accurate forecasts and warnings,
including working with local emergency managers on when and
how to alert and, as necessary, evacuate residents. You can
read my full letter here.
On Friday, I was finally permitted a productive meeting
with the NWS Director Ken Graham to discuss these
questions. Based on that discussion, I then requested all
recorded communications, radar archives, and shift logs to
get a complete understanding of how NWS Austin/San Antonio
responded before and during the flooding. You can read my
full letter here.
I am also still seeking answers regarding the timeliness
and accuracy of watches and warnings for Kerr, Travis,
Williamson, and Burnet Counties,
Despite the best efforts of a dedicated NWS team, nobody
had been named to replace the Warning Coordination
Meteorologist, a 32-year veteran, who had previously
maintained contact with local communities. No local
hydrologist, who evaluates rainfall, runoff, and rain
gauges, was presentthat night, and four other positions
were unfilled because of Trump’s hiring freeze.
Apparently, the direct contact to Kerr County was limited
solely to one local emergency manager, not directly to the
camps or others. The first flood warning came at 1:18
am when most of Kerr was asleep, and the flood emergency
was declared at 4:03 am after Camp Mystic and other areas
had been inundated.
Additional reports indicate related failures at the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which led to
delays in dispatching search and rescue teams. Department
of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s new policy
insisting upon her personal sign off on most every thing
led to lost time as important search and rescue teams were
not deployed until Monday. Together with my Texas
Democratic colleagues, we are demanding an investigation
into how Trump's previous actions at FEMA impaired that
federal response.
Ispoke about the need for accountability as well as
greater awareness of the impact of a warming climate on
weather intensification. You can watch one of
these interviews here,
or by clicking the box below.
Trump says that it is “evil” to raise questions
about whether the warnings were sufficient. Governor
Abbott says raising such questions is what losers do after
a football game. With so much at stake, I believe
that effective oversight saves lives. Understanding what
occurred during the July 4 Central Texas floods is critical
for preparing for future natural disasters. The
victims and their suffering families are entitled to the
full truth.
As always, I welcome your counsel.
Sincerely,
Lloyd Doggett
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