Questions have come out on what was Sufficient warning Central Texas is ahead of floods Killed more than 100 peopleWith focus on the lack of many Vigilant system In Hard-Hit Kerry County.
Ker County Judge Rob Kelly, a top local government official, said in view of the flood that there is no “warning system in the region.” On pressing about emergency alerts at news conferences, several officials refused to directly respond and instead said that they were focusing on finding the victims.
But John David Trollinger, former IT director of Ker County, tells CBS News that he helped install coderad-a third-party alert system that costs about $ 25,000 per year-around 2009, and recording for a few times, and provided recording, in which the first respondents can be heard about the system being activated during the morning of July 4.
When he woke up around 1 am on Friday, Tolinger said he immediately joined the emergency radio broadcast. He said that the nearby Guadalup river was growing rapidly, and people were in danger. By 3:26 pm, the firefighters warned the dispatcher that some areas had become irrelevant.
“This is an emergency,” Trollinger told CBS News.
The coded system allows to send voice messages and text messages to be sent on registered phones to get alert.
Trollinger recorded the moment when volunteer firefighters sent a coder alert. It came at early 4:22 am, but delayed dispatches as they needed a special authority.
“Is there any way that we can send a code red out to our victims, who can ask them to find high ground or stay at home?” A fire fighter is heard saying that in recording, Trollinger gave CBS news.
“Standing, we must approve with our supervisor,” the dispatcher responds.
The river continued to grow, and trollinger’s recording shown calling emergency respondents in various emergency situations, such as people still inside with car and RVS.
Until 5:11 am, as the first respondents were running rescue operations in flood waters, the coded alert was still not sent.
“I didn’t know who was in the dispatch,” Trollinger said while recalling the morning of July. “It is an hour. Somebody should have stood up – someone should have got up and say,” Okay, send the code red. “
Trollinger has been retired for six years, and told CBS News that he does not know who is now responsible for approving emergency alert. But while he was working, he said that it was the responsibility of Sheriff. Sheriff’s office did not respond to CBS News request for comment.
Trollinger told CBS News that he also tried to call the dispatches, but said that the phone lines were blocked and they felt that it could make things worse.
“I thought, man, someone can die because I am arguing with a dispatcher there who does not know who I am or remember my name,” he said. “And there was no way that I was going to disrupt their process, because you know, it is five o’clock, someone should be in the except for the night, in addition to the night, in addition to the night.”
Although no alert was sent by local government officials to Ker County or neighboring Bandera County, CBS News analysis suggests that 22 warnings were sent by the National Meteorological Service for Ker County and Kerville region.
One of them was sent to 4:03 AM Alert Bandra and Ker Counties, stating, “This is a particularly dangerous situation. Now look for high land!” And “Now go to high ground! It’s a very dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not try to travel until you are running away from any area under flood or no withdrawal order.”
But many people in the area say that they never received any warning. Among them, the Roberson family, who told CBS News that they were lucky that they were thrown out of their house in the middle of the night after the flood waters.
The family separated, and Phil Roberson said he came out of the storm on the roof of his house. “These are just cars floating at home, and there are cars jumping from home, and I didn’t know where they were,” he said.
Jack Roberson, 15, and his mother, Lindsay Roberson tried to drive, but the water rose very fast, and was forced to grab on a tree to save him from flowing.
A 18 -minute recording suggests that Jack Roberson’s legs were attached to him under water and other debris.
But the family said that they do not plan to move forward.
“We will probably run some drills and talk about where we are going. It was terrible to separate.” Phil Roberson said.
