Data: Kerr County sent first targeted alert two days after deadly flood

HUNT, Texas (KXAN) — Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data does not show a record of Kerr County officials issuing a locally targeted emergency alert to warn people in the area of the rapidly rising waters until two days after the deadly flood.

The emergency flash flood warnings issued on July 4 and 5 came from the National Weather Service, which were distributed through CodeRED, a mass notification system that requires members of the public to register to receive alerts.

Records show the earliest warnings of the flash floods, which claimed more than 100 lives in Kerr County alone as of July 15, were issued by the NWS at 1:14 a.m. on July 4, telling people to move to higher ground. 

The county shared a San Antonio meteorologist’s post on Facebook at 5:31 a.m. on July 4. County officials added their warning to the shared post, saying, “Flooding along the Guadalupe River is happening now. Be safe and move to higher ground. Do not drive through water. Turn Around – Don’t Drown!” 

After the initial alert at 1:14 a.m., an additional 21 flash flood alerts were issued by the NWS on July 4 in Kerr County, according to archived alert data. 

FEMA records indicate that the county itself never issued an alert on July 4 about the dangerous flash flooding through the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), which can alert all phones in a geographical area, regardless of whether a person has enrolled for emergency alerts.

KXAN reached out to Kerr County officials about the timing of their alerts. This story will be updated when a response is received.

Contrary to alerts issued by the NWS, IPAWS provides authorities the ability to write their own warning message, which is delivered through multiple communication pathways “to reach as many people as possible to save lives and protect property,” according to FEMA.

“Utilizing multiple pathways for public alerts increases the likelihood that the message will successfully reach the public,” according to FEMA. 

The only IPAWS alerts Kerr County issued occurred on July 6 and July 13 due to the “high probability” and “high confidence” of river flooding, according to FEMA IPAWS data. 

Records show these Kerr County IPAWS alerts classified the severity of the weather events as “Extreme” and the presence of an “Imminent Threat” with headlines stating “Evacuation Immediate” and “Local Area Emergency.” 

According to FEMA IPAWS alert data, Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William “Dub” Thomas is the person who authorized and issued the IPAWS alerts.

KXAN reached out to Thomas for additional details regarding the alerts he authorized.

A county commission meeting video from Nov. 16, 2020, shows Thomas advocating for the emergency alert system as lifesaving shortly before the commissioner approved the measure.