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Flood - continued from page 6Kerr County and the Kerrville area.”The Political Blame GameKerrville Mayor Herring addressed the media with a mix of frustration, emotion, and candor:He declared a disaster for Kerrville early on July 4th as floodwaters overwhelmed the city.In a press conference, he admitted he was not aware of any state resources being sent to Kerrville before the flood, despite Governor Abbott’s claims that assets were pre-positioned.Herring said he did not receive individual warnings about the severity of the flooding and only learned of the disaster around 5:30 AM, when the city manager called him. He expressed regret, saying: “Everyone here, if we could have warned them, we would have done so. And we did not even have a warning. We did not know.”Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, as the county’s top elected official, also acknowledged early on July 4th that Kerr County had no flood warning system in place. When asked why evacuations did not happen earlier, Kelly said: “We didn’t know this flood was coming.” He noted that previous efforts to install sirens were rejected due to cost and lack of public support.On July 8th, when asked during a press conference in Hunt, Texas, “Who is to blame for the flood?”, Governor Abbott responded with a sharp rebuke:“Who’s to blame? Know this — that’s the word choice of losers.” He then launched into a football analogy to emphasize his stance: “Every football team makes mistakes. The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who’s to blame. The championship teams are the ones who say, ‘Don’t worry about it, man. We got this.’ The way winners talk is not to point fingers. They talk about solutions.”Abbott stressed that Texas would focus on solutions and recovery. He also stated that investigative committees in the Texas House and Senate would examine the flood response and preparedness failures.Abbott’s response—calling “blame” the word choice of losers and comparing the flood response to football—sparked a wave of criticism and concern across Texas. While some praised Abbott’s focus on solutions, many felt his analogy trivialized the tragedy. The backlash intensified calls for accountability, transparency, and long- overdue infrastructure upgrades.Abbott called a special legislative session to address flood warning systems, emergency communications, funding for Hill Country recovery, and streamlining disaster regulations.Thus, this flood was not only historic in scale—it exposed vulnerabilities in warning systems, communication, and emergency coordination. The state representative for the Kerr County area is Rep. Wes Virdell, a Republican freshman legislator from Brady, Texas. He voted against House Bill 13—the recent 89th legislative bill aimed at fundingemergency sirens and improving disaster communication infrastructure.Before the flood, Rep. Virdell opposed HB 13 for several reasons: 1. He believed the bill’s $500 million price tag was excessive and fiscally irresponsible. 2. He said the bill created a council exempt from transparency and didn’t directly fund sirens or alert systems. 3. Virdell stated: “It didn’t actually have money for funding of the emergency warning systems. It was just the money for creating the commission is all it was.” 4. He also questioned the effectiveness of sirens in rural areas, saying he could only hear one 200 yards away when standing outside.After the flood, he changed his perspective. Virdell expressed regret and reconsidered his vote:“I can tell you in hindsight, watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now.” He acknowledged that Kerr County lacked any flood warning system, and that the flood’s speed and timing made alerts nearly impossible to act on. He emphasized the need for better cell service in remote areas, suggesting that sirens alone would not have been enough. He joined first responders in Kerrville during search and rescue efforts, which he said gave him a “close-up view” of the tragedy’s impact. His shift in stance has added momentum for a statewide emergency alert overhaul.The contrast between the economic toll of July 4, 2025, flood and the cost of preventative alert systems is staggering:The impact is estimated at $18 to $22 billion in total damage and economic loss across Central Texas. This includes destruction of homes, businesses, camps, infrastructure, and vehicles; covers costs of evacuations, emergency response, cleanup, and long-term healthcare; and tourism losses and supply chain disruptions are also factored in. Only 2.5% of Kerr County homeowners had flood insurance.House Bill 13, which would have funded sirens and communication upgrades statewide, was projected to cost $500 million over 10 years. Kerr County’s own flood warning system upgrade was estimated at $1 million in 2016. It included sensors, gauges, and real-time data infrastructure.Perspective: The flood’s cost is 36 to 44 times higher than the proposed statewide alert system.Kerr County’s local system could have been implemented for 0.005% of the flood’s total damage. This stark disparity has reignited calls for proactive investment in disaster preparedness.FEMA exempted buildings at old and new sitesAfter a review of FEMA records, the Associated Press reported on July 12th that: “Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain... In response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013,amended the county’s flood map to remove 15 of the camp’s buildings from the hazard area. Records show that those buildings were part of the 99-year-old Camp Mystic Guadalupe, which was devastated by last week’s flood... (after) further appeals, FEMA removed 15 more Camp Mystic structures in 2019 and 2020 from the designation. Those buildings were located... on a nearby sister site that opened to campers in 2020 as part of a major expansion and suffered less damage in the flood.”Once removed from the flood map, these structures were no longer subject to mandatory flood insurance or federal construction restrictions. The exemptions allowed Camp Mystic to expand and build new facilities without the regulatory constraints typically required in flood-prone zones.On a Positive Note:More than 850 people were rescued. Amid the devastation, countless volunteers and heroes stepped forward with courage and compassion. Their deeds are powerful reminders of humanity at its best:--Scott Ruskan, a 26-year-old rescue swimmer on his first mission with the U.S. Coast Guard, rescued 165 campers at Camp Mystic, many of them young girls, by setting up triage and comforting them until aircraft arrived. He carried the youngest children to safety and stayed behind to coordinate evacuations when others were called elsewhere.--First responders worked 13+ hours straight, often without backup, using improvised gear like garden hoses to reach victims. Kerrville PD officers worked 16 to 20-hour shifts, some even volunteering on their days off to search for missing persons. They evacuated more than 200 people door-to-door before sunrise.--FEMA and state agencies opened disaster recovery centers and launched online portals for individual assistanceapplications. Kerrville-born companies like H-E-B and James Avery deployed mobile kitchens and donated resources to flood victims.--Groups like Lone Star Heroes Outdoors and Heroes for Humanity, made up of veterans and first responders, navigated treacherous terrain, used chainsaws to clear debris, and even conducted underwater recovery missions.--Emma Foltz, a college student and counselor, saved 14 campers during the flood despite recently losing her mother. --David Chambers, an RV park owner, evacuated all 15 guests just minutes before floodwater engulfed the area.--Jonathan McComb, who lost his family in a 2015 flood, returned as a volunteer to help others through their grief.--9-year-old Corrigan Camp and her twin brother raised over $5,000 for flood relief by selling lemonade and cookies in Fort Worth.The call for help was nothing short of extraordinary, with thousands of volunteers mobilizing across Central Texas to help in search, rescue, and recovery efforts. Center Point Fire Department coordinated over 600 volunteers on July 7 alone. Ingram Volunteer Fire Department led a team of 700 volunteers covering 70 square miles. Kerr County Sheriff reported that more than 2,000 volunteers had offered help in Kerr County alone.Within 12 days, volunteers searched more than 100 miles of the river for victims. Many were veterans, first responders, and civilians from across Texas and neighboring states. Organizations like Texas EquuSearch, Mission Mules, and the United Cajun Navy deployed specialized teams with boats, dogs, and even mules to navigate debris-filled terrain. Volunteers included parents, teachers, retirees, and even children, all driven by compassion and a desire to help.These stories reflect people who had compassion and refused to be broken. From seasoned rescuers to brave children, they showed that even in the darkest moments, light can shine through. God bless Texas.10www.stoneoakhighlights.comAugust 2025