{"id":760,"date":"2025-07-07T11:06:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T11:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=760"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:07:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T11:07:05","slug":"texas-lawmakers-failed-to-pass-a-bill-to-improve-local-disaster-warning-systems-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=760","title":{"rendered":"Texas lawmakers failed to pass a bill to improve local disaster warning systems this year"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the last three days, state Rep.\u00a0Wes Virdell<\/a>\u00a0has been out with first responders in Kerr County as they searched for victims and survivors from the devastating floods that swept through Central Texas early Friday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the focus right now is let\u2019s save all the lives we can,\u201d Virdell, who was still on the scene in Kerrville, told The Texas Tribune on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Virdell\u2019s closeup view of the havoc wreaked on\u00a0his district<\/a> has made a lasting impression, he said, and left him reconsidering a vote he made just a few months ago against a bill that would have established a statewide plan to improve Texas\u2019 disaster response, including better alert systems, along with a grant program for counties to buy new emergency communication equipment and build new infrastructure like radio towers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can tell you in hindsight, watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now,\u201d said Virdell, a freshman GOP lawmaker from Brady.<\/p>\n

The measure,\u00a0House Bill 13<\/a>, would have created a new government council to establish the emergency response plan and administer the grant program, both of which would have been aimed at facilitating better communication between first responders. The bill also called for the plan to include \u201cthe use of outdoor warning sirens,\u201d like those used in tornado-prone Texas counties, and develop new \u201cemergency alert systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Authored by Rep.\u00a0Ken King<\/a>, R-Canadian, the legislation was inspired by last year\u2019s\u00a0devastating wildfires<\/a>\u00a0in the Panhandle, where more than 1 million acres burned \u2014 including part of King\u2019s property \u2014 and three people died. The bill failed in the Texas Senate, prompting\u00a0newfound questions<\/a>\u00a0about whether lawmakers should have done more to help rural, cash-strapped counties stave off the deadly effects of future natural disasters.<\/p>\n

As of Sunday evening, at least 79 people had died in the floods. Of those, 68 were in Kerr County, many of them camping or attending a private summer camp along the Guadalupe River.<\/p>\n

Virdell, a Hill Country native who lives about 100 miles away, made his way to Kerrville early Friday after seeing news that rains raised the Guadalupe more than two feet, swamping its banks in Hunt and other river communities that host thousands of holiday vacationers.<\/p>\n

He stressed an alarm system may not have helped much in this instance because the floodwaters came so quickly. Between 2 and 7 a.m., the Guadalupe River in Kerrville rose from 1 to more than 34 feet in height,\u00a0according to a flood gauge in the area<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think there was enough evidence to even suspect something like this was going to happen,\u201d he said. \u201dI think even if you had a warning system there, this came in so fast and early in the morning it’s very unlikely the warning system would have had much effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virdell said he doesn\u2019t recall the specifics of the bill or why he opposed it, though he guessed \u201dit had to do with how much funding\u201d was tied to the measure.<\/p>\n

Even if it had passed, it would not have gone into effect until Sept. 1, after the Hill Country flooding.<\/p>\n

The bill\u2019s\u00a0initial $500 million cost<\/a>\u00a0drew heavy criticism from fellow Republicans including state Rep.\u00a0Tony Tinderholt<\/a>, R-Arlington.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis shouldn’t be about anything other than the fact that it’s a half a billion dollars,\u201d Tinderholt, a hardline conservative and budget hawk, said during the April 1 House floor debate. \u201cThis is probably one of the most simple votes we should be able to take today. It’s that this interoperability council is going to spend money to try and get these departments to be able to talk together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven Aranyi, a spokesperson for Lt. Gov.\u00a0Dan Patrick<\/a>, noted that lawmakers \u2014 including the Texas Senate, which Patrick oversees \u2014 made several \u201cunprecedented\u201d investments in disaster response during this year\u2019s legislative session, totaling $547 million. That included:<\/p>\n