Des spellings nonetheless, the affected Texas county lacked functioning flood warning sirens, despite numerous years of discourse and deliberations regarding their installation.
In the aftermath of the devastating flood that struck Kerr County, Texas, in July 2025, leaving more than 100 people dead, including 27 children at Camp Mystic, questions are being raised about the county's lack of a flood warning siren system.
County Judge Rob Kelly admitted during a news conference that they were caught off guard by the torrential rains that caused the Guadalupe River to rise to near-historic levels. Despite discussions and plans to install sirens as far back as 2018, Kerr County never implemented such a system, primarily due to cost concerns and funding issues.
Records show that discussions about implementing an alert system, including the use of sirens, have been ongoing in Kerr County for nearly a decade. In a 2016 meeting, former Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer pushed for the upgrade of the county's flood-warning system, including the placement of high-decibel outdoor sirens along the river. The cost of upgrading the warning system to include sirens, according to meeting minutes, was estimated to be around $40,000 per unit.
However, the county was unable to secure federal funding for the project. With no federal funds available, they faced the choice of paying for the system with local tax dollars, which the county ultimately decided against. The siren and flood warning projects were officially marked as "deferred" in county documents.
Neighbouring counties like Guadalupe and Comal had installed outdoor flood sirens years ago, and cities such as New Braunfels regularly test their outdoor warning systems. Kerr County stands out for not having such an audible alert system despite its high flood risk.
State and local officials in Texas are facing questions about how warnings were sent out to the community, why evacuations weren't ordered in low-lying areas, and why there were no audible warning systems to alert campers along the Guadalupe.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has suggested that the lack of audible warning systems may have contributed to the loss of lives in the flooding. Chief W. Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management stated that there were multiple warning systems in place, but some places have spotty cell phone reception. Kidd added that just sending the message is not the same as receiving the message, having a plan to do something when you receive the message, and the ability to implement that plan.
Ten girls and a counselor from Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for as search-and-rescue efforts continue. Dalton Rice, Kerrville City Manager, stated that staff at some summer camps on the Guadalupe were monitoring the rising river at 3:30 a.m. on the day of the flood and managed to move campers to higher ground.
As criticisms mount, Kerr County officials are under pressure to reevaluate their emergency warning systems and consider the implementation of flood sirens in the future. The White House has pushed back on criticism of the weather service around the Texas flooding during a news conference.
In light of the absence of a flood warning siren system in Kerr County, despite its high flood risk, questions about the prioritization of weather-related concerns in local politics have surfaced. For instance, neighboring counties with similar flood risks have already installed outdoor sirens, yet Kerr County opted against such a system due to cost concerns and funding issues.
