OT: Texas Flood

[MaroonBells]

The stories coming out of Texas Hill Country are absolutely heartbreaking. This video is the first I've seen that shows the MASSIVE volume of water that went through... in just 35 minutes. 

[JimmyinSD]

I find myself with the same type of questions that I had following the Hawaii fires,  our system failed the people its supposed to protect and serve.  

As scary as the term sounds,  flash floods are rarely unexpected or a unpredictable.   Somebody should have been warning people in the lower lying areas that they needed to get to higher ground as soon as that storm developed.

We have to much technology available and to many ways to communicate for this to be considered simply an act of nature and beyond our control.

My heart goes out to the people of Texas and the families that have lost so much.

We need to do better.

[AGRforever]

Geez. Dry creek bed to a house floating down it in half an hour.

[ArizonaViking]

59 confirmed victims that lost their lives this includes 21 of them as children. My prayers go out to the people and their families in Texas.

[purplefaithful]

I find myself with the same type of questions that I had following the Hawaii fires,  our system failed the people its supposed to protect and serve.  
As scary as the term sounds,  flash floods are rarely unexpected or a unpredictable.   Somebody should have been warning people in the lower lying areas that they needed to get to higher ground as soon as that storm developed.
We have to much technology available and to many ways to communicate for this to be considered simply an act of nature and beyond our control.
My heart goes out to the people of Texas and the families that have lost so much.
We need to do better.

I thought the same Jimmy, Hawaii. 

In this case a systematic and/or tech failure. This is way beyond some counselors at Camp Mystiq potentially making the wrong call. 

Lots of luv and prayers to families down there.


One glaring takeaway of the tragic, horrific flash flooding deaths in Texas: buy a NOAA Weather Radio. It’s the cheapest form of life insurance around. With Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology, you can enter just your county. A screeching alert at 2 a.m. will wake up the entire house (trust me). Don’t count on your phone to get the warnings you need to stay safe.

The Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, rose at least 34 feet in only five hours during the early-morning hours of July 4. The local NWS office DID issue a “Flash Flood Emergency.” There WERE warnings in effect.

It was a deadly cocktail of factors: a warmer, wetter atmosphere and remnants of Tropical Storm Barry. Kerr County, Texas, doesn’t have a local flood warning system. Nighttime weather disasters always claim a disproportionate number of lives. People are sleeping, not paying attention.

Startribune

[BigAl99]

Just listened to some interviews and the warnings started on Wednesday and kicked up on Thursday, according to the report.  That seems to be a common occurrence in the area, warnings and then things just dissipate, have a similar thing here we call the Ames doughnut. Tragic how this played out.  Some talk about about all the tech. available for predicting these things, who is going to pay for it and why would I want to pay for folks in Texas or Missouri?

[JimmyinSD]

Just listened to some interviews and the warnings started on Wednesday and kicked up on Thursday, according to the report.  That seems to be a common occurrence in the area, warnings and then things just dissipate, have a similar thing here we call the Ames doughnut. Tragic how this played out.  Some talk about about all the tech. available for predicting these things, who is going to pay for it and why would I want to pay for folks in Texas or Missouri?

Can we please not make this political?

It's already out there,  in every news weather room,  and in most areas emergency management.   It doesn't take new space age shit to be able to predict big rain events and how certain areas will be affected.

I dont know about that specific area,  but if they had been catching rain,  it should have been anticipated as its hill country with already saturated soil,  but even if they were dry,  Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas are home to some of the best weather research programs in the country,  those folks know storms and history shows how regions handle those rainfall events.

Our area has a program called code red, its a way for county emergencies and warnings to go out via text and phone call to everyone that signs up.  If the national weather services issues anything more severe than a dense fog warning our phones blow up.  I have to think about every area has something similar.

[mblack]

Can we please not make this political?

It's already out there,  in every news weather room,  and in most areas emergency management.   It doesn't take new space age shit to be able to predict big rain events and how certain areas will be affected.

I dont know about that specific area,  but if they had been catching rain,  it should have been anticipated as its hill country with already saturated soil,  but even if they were dry,  Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas are home to some of the best weather research programs in the country,  those folks now storms and history shows how regions handle those rainfall events.

Our area has a program called code red, its a way for county emergencies and warnings to go out via text and phone call to everyone that signs up.  If the national weather services issues anything more severe than a dense fog warning our phones blow up.  I have to think about every area has something similar.

At the bold… very interesting concept!

[Bullazin]

NOAA and NWS have had major cuts and layoffs this year. Word is that the predictions were complete but that messages/ warnings were delayed.

[mblack]

NOAA and NWS have had major cuts and layoffs this year.  Word is that the predictions were complete but that messages/ warnings were delayed.

Don’t make this political.