Texas lawmakers largely ignored flood prep advice for rural areas like Kerr County

Context & Background

Over the past two decades, despite Texas experiencing increasingly damaging floods—especially in rural and economically marginalized regions—state leaders consistently neglected recommendations to improve flood prevention, such as siren and alert systems

💡 Key Findings

• Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Texas allocated over $1.6 billion for water infrastructure and proposed a $1 billion‑per‑year water/wastewater funding plan—but only a fraction of it went to flood mitigation. That pace would leave a multi-billion‑dollar backlog

• The 2024 statewide flood plan estimated $55 billion needed for mitigation, yet the Legislature has funded just $1.4 billion thus far

• At least three bills proposing siren or alert systems—which are vital in rural areas lacking reliable cell service—were blocked before becoming law

The Kerr County Tragedy

• In early July 2025, catastrophic flash floods devastated the Guadalupe River basin in Kerr County. Over 135 people died, with the majority in Kerr County, and millions in damages

• Local officials had, for years, pursued FEMA grants (over $700K/applied for). But lacking a hazard mitigation plan and losing out in grant competition, Kerr County never installed warning systems

• Nearby Comfort, TX, had installed sirens in 2024 and recorded zero flood fatalities during the same storm—highlighting the real impact of these systems

Disparity & Impact

• Rural and low-income communities suffer disproportionately, lacking local tax revenue or grant expertise to fill state gaps

• The article argues that legislative inaction on flood mitigation is directly tied to the scale of recent death and destruction in the Hill Country.

Next Steps & Implications

• With the Texas Legislature in a special session (starting July 21, 2025), flood warning systems and emergency communications are now included on the agenda

• However, the authors emphasize that these discussions follow decades of neglect, urging meaningful funding and infrastructure—not just symbolic gestures.

Why it matters

Texas has long resisted investing in flood infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. The Kerr County disaster starkly illustrates the consequences of those missed opportunities. As lawmakers reconvene, there’s now a rare chance to enact real change—but the question remains whether bold action will follow.

This article summarizes this Texas Tribune article.