What another Texas flood revealed about the state’s warning system

A year after Texas floods killed a hundred thirty-nine people, another historic storm hit the Hill Country last month — and this time, only three people died. Grist reports that earlier forecasting, new warning systems, and a public still on edge from last year's disaster made the difference: the National Weather Service began briefing emergency officials four days before the river peaked, versus less than twenty-four hours in twenty twenty-five. Kerr County sent fifty-nine emergency text alerts and triggered sirens installed with part of a fifty-million-dollar state fund approved after last year's tragedy. Still, as Grist notes, the storm also destroyed homes and property for residents like Paul Welch, who lost an RV and a half-built dream house even after escaping with his life.

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