In the first few hours of A, a rural district of Texas was missing part of his most important leadership Catastrophic tide This came through the region, which led to a widespread destruction and killed more than 130 people at the beginning of this month.
The sheriff of Kerr County and his emergency management recognized on Thursday during a legislative hearing that they slept when it turned out that there was a great flood event. In addition, judge Rob Kelly, the top manager of Kerrville County, on July 4, the day of the flood, was outside the city.
Your certificate that came during a joint House and Senate committee Of the legislators who visited the hard-hit land of Texas Hills, a lack of non-serving leadership showed in the most important moments of the floods in which at least 136 people were killed, including 27 young people and consultants in an all-girl camp.
William “Dub” Thomas, coordinator of Kerr County’s emergency management, told the legislators that he was sick the day before flooding and missed two calls with emergency management officers in Texas. Larry Leitha, Sheriff of Kerr County, and Thomas stated that it developed to sleep as a crisis.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick expressed his frustration.
“I don’t show with a finger, I don’t accuse you, I just want to get the record in order. Everyone was here that day and you were not to be found anywhere,” said Patrick when the audience applauded.
On the morning of July 4, Thomas said that he was at 5:30 a.m. by his wife, about two hours after walking the rescue rescue, woke up and quickly drove to the Sheriff’s office.
“There were no visible floods on my trip to the office, but it quickly became clear that the situation escalated,” he said.
In other statements, the local officials said that they needed them, but there was no updated warning system, as fall floods swept away from houses and vehicles and families at the beginning of this month for rescue on the roofs of their houses.
Others who testified on Thursday to an audience of hundreds of people – some who wore the victims of green ligaments – demanded urgent improvements for better flood warnings and flood protection.
Kelly said that the residents had practically no warning before the upcoming weather disaster until it was too late.
“We need stronger communication and a better broadband so that we can communicate better,” he said, adding that bad cell service did not help those on the river. “What we experienced on July 4th was suddenly, violent and overwhelming.”
Leitha presented a schedule with events to the legislators and said rescue workers found that they had already had an “all-hand-on deck” stall at 3:30 a.m. when the dispatchers received a call from a family stranded on their roof and applied for air development. But Leitha admitted that he was not aware of the floods until about an hour later around 4:20 a.m.
Kelly, who holds a position in Texas who acts as a Chief Executive Officer in the district, said that he was on the flood outside the city on Lake Travis in the morning and was woken up around 5:30 a.m.
MP Ann Johnson, a Democrat from Houston, asked Leitha whether the district should have a protocol if three of the best district officials are not available during emergency.
“Yes, Ma’am, we can really take a look at it,” said Leitha. “Yes, I can look and maybe you can call me earlier.”
The residents along the Guadalupe river said they were unprepared and had no warning when the precipitation made. Kerr County has no warning system along the river After several missed options by state and local authorities to finance you.
The hearing takes place when the authorities have publicly published records and audio attempts -including 911 calls -that gave the first holiday into the escalating danger and chaos in the early morning of July fourth. This includes panicked and confused news from residents who are captured both in trees, as well as families who flee with children from houses who crawl on their knees.
“People die,” says a woman to a 911 operator in call protocols published by the nearby Kendall County. She said she had a young relative in a church camp in Kerr County, who was stranded with his classmates because of the high waters.
“I don’t want you to get stuck in a cross with low water. And what will you do? You have 30 children,” says the woman.
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Lathan is a member of the Corps for the “Associated Press/Report” initiative for America Statehouse News. Report for America is a non -profit National Service program that journalists report in local news editorial offices about the undercovered topics.
