Kerr County Flood Response Under Scrutiny

Kerr County, Texas, has faced criticism regarding the timing of official notifications as devastating floodwaters surged on the Guadalupe River early Friday morning. Social media has highlighted a noticeable delay in communications from local government officials.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 AM, but it took several hours before any urgent alerts were posted on city and county social media pages. The first message from the Carville Police Station arrived at 5:16 AM, sharing the NWS alert and advising residents near the river to move to higher ground.

Shortly after, at 5:31 AM, Kerr County echoed these warnings. A minute later, the sheriff’s office also shared the NWS information on its Facebook page, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

Later, at 7:32 AM, the Carville city page reiterated the urgency, urging residents along the Guadalupe River to move to highlands without delay.

Officials have not yet clarified the timing of these updates or how else they may have communicated with those at risk. KXAN has requested records from city, county, and state officials to gain clarity on the decisions surrounding public notifications.

During a late-night press conference confirming several flood-related fatalities, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly mentioned that the authorities were unprepared for the severity of the flood. “This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States, and we regularly deal with flooding. When it rains, we get water,” he stated, expressing that the conditions were unexpected.

Later on Friday, Lt. Col. Dan Patrick noted that Texas Emergency Management officials had contacted local leaders to advise them of potential flooding. He stated, “It’s up to the local county and mayor under the law to decide on evacuations. That information has been passed along.”

KXAN is pursuing further details on these communications as this situation unfolds.