Science Weekly Texas floods and forecasting cuts: a sign of things to come?
How Budget Cuts and Warning Failures Contributed to the Texas Flood Tragedy
Texas suffered a devastating flood that caused over 100 deaths, linked to a rare and extreme weather event fueled by climate change. Despite timely flood watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service, failures in local emergency alert systems meant many residents did not receive urgent notifications. Kerr County, where much of the loss occurred, lacked critical public warning sirens and relied on outdated methods like deputies yelling alerts, which proved insufficient.
The tragedy highlighted the impact of recent staffing cuts at the National Weather Service, which left local offices critically understaffed and forced loss of experienced staff responsible for coordinating warnings. Although forecasters issued appropriate warnings, local communication breakdowns and reduced federal investment in climate research and forecasting left communities vulnerable.
Eric Holthaus explained that improving multi-channel warning systems and restoring funding for climate and forecast research are essential to prevent such disasters. He emphasized that extreme weather is becoming more frequent and unpredictable, requiring an institutional shift to acknowledge unprecedented events and better prepare the public.
Extreme Texas Flooding Event
- Central Texas experienced extreme flooding from a stalled tropical cyclone with near record Gulf waters.
- Water rose 30 feet in an hour, surpassing Niagara Falls flow, surprising everyone with its severity.
Last Mile Problem in Alerts
- The "last mile problem" in US emergency alerts causes warnings to sometimes not reach the public effectively.
- Notification depends on county officials, and outdated methods like driving with a loudspeaker were used in this flood.