A month after catastrophic floods devastated parts of Central Texas, state lawmakers convened Thursday in Kerrville for a second public hearing aimed at uncovering the failures that contributed to one of the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history.
More than 130 people lost their lives in the July 4 flood, which caught communities by surprise and left emergency responders overwhelmed. At the hearing — hosted by the Joint Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding — local officials, emergency managers, and grieving community members shared harrowing testimony in front of a packed room, including top state leaders Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock).
“This hearing is gonna be a little more emotional and a little harder than the last one,” said Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) as the session began.
Raw Emotions and Unanswered Questions
Lt. Gov. Patrick became visibly emotional in his opening remarks, recalling his visit to the flood zone. “What I saw of the devastation will haunt me for the rest of my life,” he said.
The July 4 flood has left behind not just physical destruction but deep psychological scars. The rapid onset of the disaster, the lack of timely warnings, and conflicting reports about key officials’ whereabouts that day have fueled anger and confusion.
Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, holding back tears, told lawmakers, “We are grieving, we are shaking, but we are not broken.” He called for the installation of a local flood warning system before next summer.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly emphasized the scale of the challenge, describing the storm as “unlike anything seen in our county before.” He urged lawmakers to invest in stronger detection tools and modern infrastructure, especially for rural communities.
But his testimony was not without pushback. Senators pressed Kelly to clarify when he was informed of the flooding and whether he was present with Governor Greg Abbott at a press conference that day. “I do not know, I can find out,” Kelly responded.
Patrick later pointedly added, “Everyone was here that day working their ass off and you were nowhere to be found.” Though he insisted he wasn’t “pointing a finger,” the moment underscored growing frustrations over accountability.
Scrutiny of Emergency Response
Sheriff Larry Leitha detailed the confusion as waters rose rapidly: “My deputies had no idea, no warning that there was going to be a major tsunami.” He noted over 600 radio transmissions and 100 emergency calls were handled by his office, while admitting that in some areas, such as Hunt, “sirens would not have changed the outcome.”
Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William "Dub" Thomas, who had not spoken publicly until the hearing, explained his absence from the flood response. He had taken approved personal leave to care for his elderly father and said illness kept him bedridden on July 3. He also missed key coordination calls that day.
Thomas defended the county’s preparedness but questioned the effectiveness of sirens, especially given the high volume of tourists unfamiliar with their meaning. “The situation evolved faster than anyone could have predicted,” he said.
Still, lawmakers were unsparing in their criticism of regional agencies. Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) rebuked the Upper Guadalupe River Authority for saying their role was to collect data. “They should be in the business of protecting people from the things going on in the river,” she said to loud applause. “I don’t see how the Upper Guadalupe River Authority helped in any way in this flood.”
Community Demands Change
Throughout the hearing, local residents who lost loved ones or homes shared gut-wrenching stories and urgent pleas for reform.
“Those of us impacted by this catastrophe are not asking for handouts, we’re asking for a functioning government,” one speaker said. “This community is in desperate need of educated assistance handling the enormous burden of this catastrophe.”
Their message was clear: the government’s emergency response system is broken, and it must be rebuilt before another tragedy strikes.
Sen. Perry warned that some local responsibilities may need to be shifted to the state. “I don’t think the expertise needed to do this properly exists in a small community,” he said, signaling possible consolidation of disaster oversight in future legislation.
Next Steps
With two hearings now complete, the committee will begin crafting policy proposals to improve disaster preparedness across Texas. Lawmakers are expected to introduce legislation in the next session aimed at modernizing alert systems, improving infrastructure in vulnerable areas, and clarifying chains of command during emergencies.
As Lt. Gov. Patrick said, “We’re not here just to listen. We’re here to act.”
