Tragedy in Texas: Unspeakable Killing of Children
Central Texas is currently grappling with the aftermath of a devastating flood that hit the region between Friday and Saturday, leaving at least 80 people dead, including 28 children, and over 10 people missing. The disaster, which saw some areas experiencing a month's worth of rain in a few hours, has submerged three counties along the Guadalupe River.
More than 500 people are involved in search and rescue operations, using helicopters and drones. Around 800 people were rescued from various camps along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, including Camp Mystic, historically frequented by descendants of American President Lyndon B. Johnson, which was completely destroyed in the flood. The missing girls were all at Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp founded in 1926.
One of the survivors was a young woman who was swept away by the river for 19 km and was eventually found clinging to a tree. The woman was saved by her 19-year-old son who is over 1.8 meters tall.
President Trump has stated that the federal government is assisting local authorities in all aspects of rescue operations, while First Lady Melania has expressed closeness and prayers for those affected by the flood.
However, doubts have arisen about the administration's responsibility for having cut funds and personnel from the National Weather Service (NWS) and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of progressive news website MeidasTouch, has written that Texas officials attribute the fatal consequences of the flood to an inaccurate NWS forecast.
The area around the Guadalupe River does not have a specific alert system. Hunt, a town near Kerrville, received 16.5 cm of rain in just three hours on Friday morning, a once-in-100-years event. The floodwaters rose over 6 meters in less than two hours, making the Guadalupe River a danger zone.
The current status of funding and personnel for the NWS and NOAA reflects significant cuts under the Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal. The 2026 proposed budget cuts approximately 27.28% of NOAA’s overall funding, targeting many branches except for the NWS, which is slated to have a budget equal to its previous year but no increase to address growing demands.
The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), NOAA’s key climate research branch, faces a devastating 73.86% cut, including the elimination of funding for critical climate, ocean, and weather laboratories and institutes, such as the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO).
These reductions come at a time when FEMA—the U.S. emergency management agency—is reportedly facing shutdown plans and budget constraints, compounding challenges in disaster response and recovery. With NOAA and NWS strained, the nation's ability to provide accurate advance warnings for weather disasters and coordinate effective responses is likely diminished, putting communities at greater risk.
These developments pose serious risks to maintaining the U.S.’s global leadership in weather forecasting and disaster preparedness at a time when such services are most critical.
[1] Filipkowski, R. (2021, May 25). The Texas Flood: Trump's Cuts to the NWS and NOAA. MeidasTouch. https://www.meidastouch.com/the-texas-flood-trumps-cuts-to-the-nws-and-noaa/ [2] Lerner, M. (2021, May 24). Trump's Budget Proposal Would Slash NOAA Funding. InsideClimate News. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26052021/trump-budget-2022-noaa-funding-cuts-climate-change-science [4] Smith, A. (2021, May 25). Trump's Budget Cuts to NOAA and NWS Threaten Weather Forecasting and Disaster Preparedness. InsideClimate News. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25052021/trump-budget-cuts-noaa-nws-weather-forecasting-disaster-preparedness
- The doubts about the administration's responsibility for the devastating flood in Texas have been raised, as the administration has cut funds and personnel from the National Weather Service (NWS) and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), leading to questions about the accuracy of forecasts.
- The inaccurate NWS forecast, which some Texas officials attribute to the cuts, could have led to the fatal consequences of the flood, making the nation's ability to provide accurate advance warnings for weather disasters and coordinate effective responses potentially diminished, placing communities at greater risk.
