Daily Dispatch 7/8/25: As Kerr County Reels, Local Officials Dodge Questions, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Day five of the recovery effort in Kerr County begins as the July 4 floods become the deadliest rain-related flood in the U.S. in almost 50 years: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/texas-flooding-camp-mystic-map-death-toll-victims-latest-news-b2784433.html

Local officials in Kerrville have continued to deflect questions about their response to the flood: https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-kerr-county-warnings-31c4e493e9f1b6d0406df310e74d3f98⁠⁠

...Records show an effort by Kerr County commissioners to keep an antiquated word-of-mouth system in place for river flooding events, while expressing reluctance to accept grants from the Obama administration for infrastructure improvements: https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-texas-county-officials-thought-informal-phone-calls/story?id=123552333

...Some of those officials are likely more fond of Donald Trump, whose cuts to the National Weather Service may have adversely affected the forecast, and has proposed eliminating FEMA, who are now working alongside volunteers in Kerr County: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/us/politics/texas-floods-trump-administration.html

...Governor Abbott has indicated that flood safety will be addressed in an upcoming special legislative session, but has not specifically said that will happen during the one already called to begin July 21: https://www.kxan.com/investigations/abbott-special-session-may-address-warnings-after-deadly-texas-floods/

...Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has gone a bit further, promising that the state will install a flood siren system in the Guadalupe River Valley by next summer: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/state/texas-news/texas-flood/lt-gov-dan-patrick-state-will-pay-put-sirens-along-guadalupe-river-before-next-summer/287-2d253a6e-2c1d-40b4-9a04-4f1198314b9f

...Other towns with rivers to manage nearby do have flood sirens installed, including nearby Comfort: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/deadly-texas-floods-one-town-warning-siren-rcna217202

...Kerrville Pets Alive expect to have dozens of cats and dogs, displaced from their homes in the storm, up for adoption in coming weeks: https://kerrvillepetsalive.com/

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