KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Social media posts piece collectively a timeline of obvious delays in public notification by authorities officers in Kerr County, as devastating flood waters rose on the Guadalupe River early Friday morning.
Whereas the Nationwide Climate Service issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. for parts of that space, it could be hours earlier than the town and county’s Fb pages posted their preliminary pressing instructions for residents from native authorities.
The primary got here from the Kerrville Police Division, reposting an NWS alert at 5:16 a.m., including: “Anybody close to the Guadalupe River wants to maneuver to increased floor now. Native streets are flooded on the town and low water crossings are impassable. Don’t drive into water.”
At 5:31 a.m., Kerr County posted: “Be secure and transfer to increased floor. Don’t drive by water. Flip Round – Do not Drown!”
A minute later, the county sheriff’s workplace additionally reposted NWS info by itself Fb web page, including: “If you’re close to the water, transfer to increased floor instantly. Keep away from low water crossings – flip round, do not drown!”
The Metropolis of Kerrville’s Fb web page adopted two hours later at 7:32 a.m., saying, “If you happen to stay alongside the Guadalupe River, please transfer to increased floor instantly.”
Metropolis and county officers have but to completely clarify the timing of these posts or different methods they could have notified folks close to the water, although subsequent posts suggested following the county and Metropolis of Kerrville Fb accounts for the earth updates. KXAN has requested data of communication between metropolis, county and state officers – together with any emergency notifications made – to raised perceive selections relating to their public warnings.
In a late morning press convention, after confirming a number of flood-related fatalities, Kerr County Decide Rob Kelly claimed officers “didn’t know this flood was coming.”
“That is essentially the most harmful river valley in america, and we take care of floods frequently – when it rains, we get water,” Kelly stated. “We had no motive to imagine this was going to be something like what has occurred right here, none in any respect.”
In a separate press occasion later Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stated Texas Division of Emergency Administration Area 6 Assistant Chief Jay Corridor “personally contacted the judges and mayors in that space and notified all of them of potential flooding.”
“Yesterday morning, the message was despatched,” Patrick stated. “It’s as much as the native counties and mayors underneath the regulation to evacuate in the event that they really feel a necessity. That info was handed alongside.”
KXAN requested data of that communication and can proceed following this story because it develops.