Deadly Flash Floods in Texas Expose Critical Failures in Early Warning Systems

The recent flash floods devastating Kerr County, Texas, have resulted in multiple deaths and dozens of water rescues, yet the most alarming revelation is the admitted absence of an effective early warning system. As residents grapple with loss and destruction, officials concede they did not anticipate the severity of this life-threatening flood.Over 10 inches of rain fell within mere hours, swelling the Guadalupe River to unprecedented levels—rising more than 22 feet in just two hours before river gauges failed completely. This sudden surge overwhelmed riverfront communities, campgrounds, and wildlife habitats without a reliable alert mechanism to warn those at risk.Kerr...