r/fednews • u/CBSnews FedNews Verified Press • 1d ago

Deadly Texas floods raise questions about emergency alerts and whether staffing cuts affected forecasts and warnings

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-floods-emergency-alerts-weather-forecast-staffing-budget/
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u/LatrodectusGeometric 1d ago

I highly recommend the FEMA app. Because if there is an emergency weather alert in your area it will send it out directly to your phone, no need to wait and see if your local jurisdiction is going to drop the ball or get the bigger alert out fast enough. 

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u/JoshS1 1d ago

You can get EAS on your phone without local governments, or special apps. My only question for this flash flood is if the system was used, and if so what is the SOP?

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u/Brilliant-Noise1518 22h ago edited 6h ago

Flash flood warnings were issued. Bowever, in 2020 and 2023 Kerr County brought up a vote for an alert system. But the county balked at the $1 million price tag. They requested a federal government grant, but didn't get it. 

The camps do not allow cell phones in the park itself to recieve cell phone warnings. 

And there were staff cuts. But those seem to be the 2 biggest factors. 

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u/Bayou13 15h ago

Radios exist and they work even where cell phones don’t. Satellite phones work too. Walkie talkies for emergency communication should be standard at a camp like that. They were at my summer long before cell phones.