US EditionKerr County Struggled to Fund Flood Warnings. Under Trump, It’s Getting Even Harder
KERR COUNTY, TEXAS, JUL 11 – Despite discussions since 2016, Kerr County missed nearly $1 million in funding opportunities for a flood warning system before the July 4 flood that caused nearly 100 deaths.
- In July 2025, President Donald Trump planned a visit to Kerr County, Texas, to survey flood devastation after deadly floods killed at least 121 people and left over 170 missing.
- Kerr County officials had sought funding for a flash flood warning system from 2017 to 2024 but were repeatedly denied because state grants covered only 5% of costs, requiring local taxpayers to fund the rest.
- The county discussed a flood warning system costing just under $1 million, but no system was installed before the flood, and local officials did not complete the project despite raising the issue multiple times since 2016.
- Governor Greg Abbott called a special legislative session starting July 21 to improve flood preparedness, while federal program cuts like the $4.6 billion BRIC cancellation have further limited funding for flood projects.
- Funding constraints and outdated flood projects that do not fully account for climate change imply Texas communities like Kerr County face ongoing challenges in flood mitigation despite recent state and federal efforts.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Houston Public Media
UpstractDid fiscal conservatism block plans for a new flood warning system in Kerr County?
In the last nine years, federal funding for a system has been denied to the county as it contends with a tax base hostile to government overspending.
'We don’t want to be bought': Flooded TX county turned down Biden funds for warning system
"Did fiscal conservatism block plans for a new flood warning system in Kerr County?" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.In the week after the tragic July 4 flooding …
How Republicans Rejected A Texas Flood Warning System
In an exclusive bonus episode for our paid subscribers, David Sirota sits down with The Houston Chronicle’s Neena Satijah and Keri Blakinger to discuss Kerr County, Texas’s unsuccessful eight-year-long fight to fund a flood warning system that might have saved lives during the area’s July 4 disaster. Listen to the full episode below, exclusively for The Lever’s paid subscribers. This full story is for paid subscribers. Sign up for a paid subscr…
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