Kerr County Officials Questioned on July 4 Flood Response by State Legislators

July 4 Flood Response Hearing

• 🏛️ State legislators convened an extraordinary hearing to question Kerr County officials regarding their response to the deadly July 4th flooding.
• 🚨 The Kirk County Sheriff admitted that communications could have been better during the event.

Timeline of Events and Communication Failures

• 📞 At the onset of flooding around 3:00 a.m., only two dispatchers were managing hundreds of calls.
• 😴 Both the Sheriff and the Emergency Manager Coordinator were reportedly asleep when the floodwaters rose, with the coordinator testifying he was sick.
• ⚠️ A red alert was not requested until 4:22 a.m., by which time the river had already risen 30 feet in the town of Hunt.
• 🚫 An evacuation order was never issued by Kerr County, with officials stating it was too late by the time the situation was fully assessed.

Impact of the Flood

• 💔 The devastating storm resulted in the deaths of 137 people.
• 😥 Three individuals, including one from North Texas, remain missing following the floods.
• 🗣️ Victims of the flood shared their stories of survival during the hearing.