On July 31, state legislators will convene in Kerrville, the area most impacted by the July 4 flood in the Hill Country, to hear directly from residents, local officials and experts about the aftermath and ongoing needs.
Gov. Greg Abbott has asked lawmakers to send him bills related to flood relief and disaster preparedness during the current special legislative session. His asks include improving early warning systems and emergency sirens in flood-prone zones, strengthening emergency communication networks, providing funding and other aid to impacted communities, and streamlining regulations to expedite disaster preparation and recovery.
While lawmakers have already heard from state agencies, the direct engagement with residents and survivors on Thursday could shape the policies that come forward.
With about three weeks left in the special session lawmakers must navigate a packed legislative calendar that includes controversial mid-decade redistricting and THC regulation.
What lawmakers have heard so far
The legislative committee focused on disaster preparedness held its first hearing July 23, during which lawmakers heard testimony from a broad range of state officials to identify systemic failures that occurred during the recent floods that killed at least 130 people and chart a path forward.
Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd spoke for nearly three hours and emphasized two critical shortcomings: the fragmented nature of emergency communication and a weak warning and notification infrastructure.
"Communications is one of them; that's messaging from the media, that's messaging to the citizen, and that's messaging back and forth with our local first responders," Kidd said, adding, "we've got to do a better job at our warning and notification systems for all hazards, not just floods."
He said that the state has "a long way to go" toward consistency in communication given the variety of locally owned radio systems that operate under different rules.
Other witnesses included officials from the Texas Water Development Board and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority. They detailed how funding requests for a river-adjacent flood warning system were repeatedly denied due to cost concerns. Lawmakers criticized the Texas Water Development Board's decision not to pursue a system in 2024, with Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, calling the move "pathetic."
Bettencourt is the sponsor of the Senate's bill that will focus on flood warning systems. He told The Texas Newsroom that he wants the state to take the burden off municipalities to purchase their own sirens.
"You've gotta look at gauges, you have to look at cell communications," Bettencourt added.
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