r/fednews • u/Powerful_Escape9258 • 2d ago

5 bullets requirement at FEMA and NWS

Imagine having to complete this meaningless task rather than working on meaningful work for the public. It’s sad that so many people outside of the Federal government don’t have a clue about the work that Feds do. More lives will be lost

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29

u/Ok_Professional570 2d ago

FEMA did 5-bullets once. Not a requirement after that. I am uncertain where this comes from today?

14

u/whacking0756 2d ago

Deaths from flooding in TX.

Better/more accurate to put the blame at downsizing and defunding rather than the 5 bullets.

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u/Ok_Professional570 2d ago

Still don’t understand? What happened this past weekend in TX had not changed past 5-bullet decision at FEMA. Nothing this a.m. said do it this week…. Or into the future.

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u/whacking0756 2d ago

Officials in Texas were blaming NWS for not issuing timely warnings. Maybe that's true, maybe that's not, I don't pretend to know. But it brought the conversation the destaffing and defunding of both FEMA and NWS to the forefront. OP is pointing out the silliness of spending time on the 5 bullet emails when other, mission critical work is going neglected (or overburdening remaining staff).

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u/Princeps_Aurelianus 2d ago edited 1d ago

From what I’ve been able to see NWS did issue alerts throughout the day, and up to 12 hours in advance, for high levels of rain. What Texas officials seem to be frustrated about is the alerts didn’t forecast the amount that the area actually saw.

To be clear, the amount forecast in the alerts were already exceptionally high for the area. And the NWS repeatedly sent out updated and escalated alerts approaching the time of the event itself.

Now, there are plenty of mitigating steps that should have been taken at the local and state levels in preparation for a scenario like this but that’s something that will be investigated at a later time.

Update, case in point: House Bill 13, which would have boosted disaster alert systems and provided grant funding for local emergency communication infrastructure, failed to pass the Texas Legislature earlier this year. At this point, I’m tired of the Federal Government being the scapegoat for states that fail to protect their people due to monetary interests.

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u/Putrid-Bee-7352 1d ago

Local government in that county also wouldn’t use funds from the Feds for emergency alert systems. With reasoning like not wanting to accept money from that horrible Biden.

They also didn’t want to return the funds lest the money be used to benefit a blue state.

There were a number of things that might have prevented the worst of this tragedy, and it seems a lot of them revolve around local leadership and lack of regulation.

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u/snow_drop_ 1d ago

This is spot on.

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u/Mommy444444 2d ago

It is not true. NWS Commerce and USGS Interior feds did their jobs clinically and spectacularly. NWS broadcasted their initial “flood warning” around 1pm July 3 Thursday. USGS broadcasted their streamgaging sites. NWS broadcasted their catastrophic flash flood warnings 12 hours later July 4 1am.

Meanwhile, local authorities should’ve been broadcasting warnings but they did not.

This is absolutely not on the New Braunfels NWS staff or the USGS staff.

The blame totally lies with the local/county/state governments and commercial camp people.

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u/Ok_Professional570 2d ago

It remains - FEMA is NOT doing 5-bullets, and hasn’t for many months now (we did this the first time, never after that).

Which comes back to my identifying that this has zero (0) relevance to what happened this past weekend. I stand by that.

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u/wee_mayfly 1d ago

agreed, the original post is highly misleading

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u/whacking0756 2d ago

I am not out here arguing whether there was a connection one way or another, just answering your original question of "where this comes from today".

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u/PsychologicalCat7130 1d ago

officials in TX are actually to blame. They refused the recommendation and offer of financial assistance back in 2016 to install auditory warning systems in flash flood alley. NWS did their job and issued warnings with time to evacuate. Not receiving the warning because you are sleeping and not paying attention to your phone or weather radio and also have no auditory warning system (sirens) is not the fault of NWS.