United States: For years, Kerr County’s leadership found itself circling the same conversation: whether to install a modern flood warning system or keep relying on a rudimentary method dubbed “river calling.” Rather than embrace sirens, signals, or illuminated hazard warnings, some commissioners championed a makeshift human chain—phone calls between riverside summer camps.
“The camps, frankly, have devised a decent workaround. When waters rise, they alert others downstream—friendly or not,” said Commissioner Bob Reeves during a 2016 meeting, according to official records. That statement came nearly a decade before catastrophic flooding would claim the lives of at least 100 people in one harrowing weekend. “It’s unpolished, sure, but it’s worked so far,” he added.
Former Sheriff W.R. Hierholzer chimed in with similar sentiments: “They call us, we call them, they keep each other in the loop. These casual systems—oddly enough—tend to be reliable.” Yet, even he admitted that the river’s temperament can shift without warning, rising “in an instant.”
Fast forward to 2017, when another commissioner voiced a peculiar mix of nostalgia and disdain. “That system between camps still functions. But just imagine—sirens piercing the calm night in our scenic Kerr County? Hell, I’d need a drink just to cope with that racket,” according to ABC News.
But not every voice in the room was so enchanted by the county’s jury-rigged solution.
“It’s a gamble,” said Commissioner Jonathan Letz in the same 2016 discussion. “We have a flood alert setup that, frankly, might collapse when we need it most.” He added with growing concern, “Something about this doesn’t sit right—we owe it to this community to examine what’s actually in place. We know we’re vulnerable.”
Others pointed out that neighboring counties—some of which experience less frequent flooding—had already implemented robust, automated alert systems.
By 2017, FEMA dollars were on the table, courtesy of President Barack Obama’s emergency declaration. Kerr County Commissioners decided to submit an application. However, not everyone was enthusiastic. A few saw accepting federal aid—especially from the Obama administration—as a bitter pill. Talks even veered into discussions about how to sidestep accepting the money if it were granted.
Outside of FEMA’s proposal, one commissioner bluntly remarked, “The alternative is inaction. We can just maintain the status quo.” That meant sticking with their existing network of 20 High Water Detection crossings, a patchwork mix of nine sites overseen by the Texas Department of Transportation and 11 by GBRA.
Another commissioner approved moving forward—but admitted the grant was more strategic than sincere. “We’re only putting this idea forward to tick the box. It’s a placeholder. We’ll revisit it.”
Everyone understood the clock was ticking. The Obama administration’s term was ending, and if they were to act, they had to act fast—even if that meant skipping normal due process.
However, the effort fell flat, according to ABC News.
Kerr County never received the federal aid. The Texas Division of Emergency Management opted to distribute FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance funds elsewhere.
In the end, hesitation, personal bias, and an aversion to modern warning systems left Kerr County disastrously exposed—its legacy now tangled in the debris of a preventable disaster.
