As soon as the toll of death climbs in Central Texas Horrific flood In the weekend of holiday, many people are wondering how Sad incident Could be stopped and who could be blamed.
President Trump has declared a major disaster for the state of Texas after flood waters. More than 80 lives so farAt least 27 campers and consultants Camp MisticA summer camp for girls was killed in floods.
The storm rained up to 20 inches of rain in some areas, and the Guadalupa River in Keraville grew more than 20 feet in just one hour on Friday, July 4. Many officials have started indicating the fingers as to why the water increased so quickly with such a low warning.
During a press conference on July 4, Nim Kid, head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said that his office on Wednesday predicted several inch rains before the storm, but “None of the forecasts of rain falling to this specific place was in none of them.”
Kerville City manager Dalton Rice reiterated the feeling in the same press conference stating that the storms in the coming areas received more rainfall than “predicted.”
But when the same officials were asked Why didn’t emergency managers not much To warn the public and to vacate the campers in the area, they did not have a clear response, emphasizing that they were focusing. Missing victim,
Jim Wondruska / Getty Images 
According to Rob Kelly, a top local government official Ker County Judge, the region does not have a “warning system,” and the authorities suffered a shock at the speed of flood.
The region is prone to floods, and their meetings tapes show that the Commissioners of Ker County discussed whether to install an outdoor flood warning system several times in recent years, but it was not done due to the cost.
Forecast and warning timeline
Prior to Disaster, National Weather Service Office released one at Austin/San Antonio Flood clock whistle on July 3 at 1:18 pm Which included Kerville. Alert said: “The amount of 1 to 3 inches of rainfall is possible with a separate amount of 5 to 7 inches.”
But a convergence of thunder with thunder sent more to the sum of rain, and the water level in the Gwadalup river near Kerville to 0.34 feet to 0.34 feet to 0.34 feet to 0.34 feet to below flood phase – below the flood phase – below the flood phase – 6:45 pm on July 4, 6:45 am, on July 4, July 4, 4 July, 4 July, 4 July, on 4 July, American geological survey,
CBS news analysis of emergency weather alerts in the state of Texas found that 22 warnings were given from the National Meteorological Service for the Ker County and Kerville region, where the most frightening floods occurred.
The first warning to the residents was on the whistle on July 4 at 1:14 pm, urging people to escape from flooded roadways, but did not call for withdrawal. A small announcement was issued for Bandera County before midnight, which are adjacent to Kerr.
According to the CBS News Review of each alert sent to the cellphone from July 2 to July 5, the first weather emergency alert sent by the National Weather Service by the immediate language service was directed to “seek high ground” with the immediate language. But no alert was sent by Kerr or Bandera local government officials for cellphones in the area. Only one information on which the public could rely only on the announcements of the National Weather Service, which was sent in the middle of the night and morning.
During the most important hours-from 5 pm to about 7 pm, when the river increased from 1.82-feet to 34.29-feet, as it rained 5-10 inches-National Weather Service sent three important cellphone messages to Ker County, including the camp mistic, saying “This is a particularly dangerous situation.”
Some Kerville residents told CBS News that they did not receive any phone warnings before the flood hit, or they do not pay much attention to the weather warnings they receive.
“We get regular alerts about flash flood warnings,” Kerville resident Heidi Easton told CBS News. “I just swipe … because it usually doesn’t mean much.”
According to an analysis of CBS News, the integrated public alert warning system, known as IPAWS, is used to send emergency text alerts to the cellphone, but no Kerr was introduced by the county. The only information sent to the public was from the National Weather Service.
Meteorologists protect national weather service forecasts
Local authorities have claimed that the forecasts were not accurate, and the most extreme rainfall was predicted. But many experts have come out and have defended the work of National Weather Service.
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said, “It has been claimed that NOAA/NWS has not removed the horrific TX floods-but it is not just true.” In a social media post“It was undoubtedly an extreme phenomenon, but the messaging started rapidly ~ 12 hours ago.”
Getty images 
Concerned about Staffing and budget cut The Trump administration has been in the news of the National Meteorological Service since taking over in January.
San Antonio and San Angelo Weather Forecast Office, which issues warnings to the affected areas, are currently working with 23 meteorologists on employees, according to Union officials for the National Meteorological Service. Both offices have a total of 10 vacancies at San Antonio, including a warning coordination meteorologist, leaving them a little less than having a complete staff. Warning coordination meteorologists play an important role in coordination with local authorities about serious weather emergency conditions.
Texas village. Greg Abbott was asked about the concerns of staff levels and budget cuts at the National Weather Service during Sunday’s press conference and said that he “knows anything about his staffing”, although he said that he spoke to Christie NoM, secretary of the motherland security department, Christie NoM, about the budget for meteorological offices. Abbott said that there is a plan to organize a special session of the Texas State Legislature to check what happened in Kerville.
Asked if the federal government should hire more meteorologists, President Trump said, “I will not really do, I don’t think.” He spoke to reporters about the Texas flood on Sunday, saying, “Nobody expected it, no one saw it.”
But the White House defended CBS News to the national weather service work and shared several reports of other meteorologists statements, With Jason RunionThe office that works for the National Meteorological Service and said its office in New Braunfales, which contributes to Austin, San Antonio and other areas affected by floods, were additional employees on duty during storms.
Tom Fahi, Legislative Director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, said, “The National Weather Service weather forecast offices in San Angelo and San Antonio have got the right forecast.” “The forecasts did their job.”
But Fhi has raised the issue with some budget cuts implemented by this administration. He told CBS News that funding for important weather programs was reduced, focused at the final level of warnings to the public, convicted for what has happened in Texas.
He told CBS News, “Sadly that people will die” If the funding of meteorologists and other employees is not restored, they told CBS News.
Some programs quoted, which have been suspended, which are related to coordination between NWS meteorologists and state, local and county emergency management officers and public safety officials. He also expressed concern about the cuts in research laboratories that they are to understand why they are and are responsible for studying the horrific weather events to prepare the public better for them.
“This warning comes down to more staff,” Fhi told CBS News, “that’s why we do this training goods, and that’s why the tragedies like this weekend have to restore funds to strengthen the collaborative exercises with the emergency management community to stop the tragedies.”
