Kerr County officials discussed a flood warning system for years, but it never materialized. The discussions began shortly after the devastating Blanco River flood of 2015, when 13 people were killed and nearly 400 homes destroyed.
Agendas and meeting transcripts reviewed by 2 Investigates show that, beginning in 2016, county commissioners discussed upgrading a flood warning system built in the 1980s.
A commissioners’ court agenda from Oct. 24, 2016, shows an engineering study was completed and recommended adding dozens of low water crossing monitors to the 20 that already existed in the county. The study also suggested integrating its warning system with the state to improve warnings to the public.
The issue was again discussed twice in 2017, and transcripts from a Feb. 26, 2018, commissioners’ court meeting show the county was denied a grant.
“The entire county had applied for a grant for a flood warning system, and we did not make the cut on that. It was for a million dollars,” said now-retired Pct. 2 Commissioner Tom Moser.
While the project was discussed after 2018, no plans came to fruition. A 2025 strategic plan from the Upper Guadalupe River Authority shows it considered applying for funds from the Texas Water Development Board Flood Infrastructure, but scrapped the idea after learning it would only provide a 5-percent funding match.
The UGRA informed commissioners this year that it is in the middle of another study to develop a web-based flood dashboard.
“The dashboard will bring together real-time rainfall and stream flow data as well as flood inundation mapping and predictions,” commissioners were told during a May 2025 meeting.
Gov. Greg Abbott said this issue will be raised during the upcoming special session of the Texas legislature. Lawmakers failed to pass a bill last session that would have created a new state agency to oversee improving first responder communications and emergency alert systems.
House Bill 13 was filed in response to the 2024 wildfires in the Texas Panhandle and would have created the Texas Interoperability Council, which would have also overseen grants to local governments to improve communication between different first responder agencies and emergency alert systems.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R)/Dist. 7 announced he will be filing a bill that will “bring back civil defense sirens, targeted for flash flood–prone river valleys.”
