So... Texas is a Sh*tHole state that's incapable of Emergency Management

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

GO TO LINK TO SEE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNINGS

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/6/2331945/-So-Texas-is-a-Sh-tHole-state-that-s-incapable-of-Emergency-Management?

So... Texas is a Sh*tHole state that's incapable of Emergency Management

NYFM, author

Sunday, July 06, 2025 at 12:48:33p CDT

So with this incredibly clear warning, if either Goobernor Abbott’s DPS, or any of the local coffee and donut chowing Dep-U-taze on duty were paying the slightest f’ing attention, they’d have been springing into action and doing their job, which as-advertised-in-the-name is: PUBLIC SAFETY! And all they had to do was press a button and send out a wireless emergency warning (same as an Amber Alert, link is to another very good diary) just like NYC now does.

But no such luck in the GOP model government of Texas, where private profit must always always come before the public good (Like when a good part of the state freaking froze to death in this shithole GOP state.) Because I have no doubt that it was a reluctance to spend the necessary money on an effective state-wide warning system and the infrastructure and personnel to have it in place that allowed this tragedy to happen. Because: Republicants reasons...

Seriously Texas DPS, do your f’ing job. Or resign and let someone who’s truly interested in doing it.

Texas voters: Just elect Democrats.

. So with this incredibly clear warning, if either Goobernor Abbott’s DPS, or any of the local coffee and donut chowing Dep-U-taze on duty were paying the slightest f’ing attention, they’d have been springing into action and doing their job, which as-advertised-in-the-name is: PUBLIC SAFETY! And all they had to do was press a button and send out a wireless emergency warning (same as an Amber Alert, link is to another very good diary) just like NYC now does.

But no such luck in the GOP model government of Texas, where private profit must always always come before the public good (Like when a good part of the state freaking froze to death in this shithole GOP state.) Because I have no doubt that it was a reluctance to spend the necessary money on an effective state-wide warning system and the infrastructure and personnel to have it in place that allowed this tragedy to happen. Because: Republicants reasons...

Seriously Texas DPS, do your f’ing job. Or resign and let someone who’s truly interested in doing it.

Texas voters: Just elect Democrats.

.

Yes, it’s true, that the tragedy in Texas was the result of bad and incompetent GOP government, and I know we all want to first blame the head honchito in the WH, but aside anything Trump, Musk and DOGE may have done, the inevitable truth is that the most egregious and proximate failure was on the state of Texas and it’s Department of Public Safety. (Oh did I hear someone mention Uvalde?) Yes, we’ve seen this unacceptable crap before from the Y’all on Yer Own Star State.

So, there was no Flash Flood Warning? That's on Texas and its local governments, because the NWS actually did its job and had issued this PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION/Flash Flood EMERGENCY alert at 4:23 am CDT (ignore display, my screencap shows EDT time):


…. As fingers are already being pointed following the heartbreaking loss of life in the Texas flash flood, I unhesitatingly point mine directly at the state of Texas and whoever the hell is in charge of public safety in the affected local communities. I do so having experienced firsthand such flooding (that is now becoming the norm due to climate change : extreme precipitation events.) and I will briefly digress here with an example of the right way to properly protect the public:

….
So with this incredibly clear warning, if either Goobernor Abbott’s DPS, or any of the local coffee and donut chowing Dep-U-taze on duty were paying the slightest f’ing attention, they’d have been springing into action and doing their job, which as-advertised-in-the-name is: PUBLIC SAFETY! And all they had to do was press a button and send out a wireless emergency warning (same as an Amber Alert, link is to another very good diary) just like NYC now does.

But no such luck in the GOP model government of Texas, where private profit must always always come before the public good (Like when a good part of the state freaking froze to death in this shithole GOP state.) Because I have no doubt that it was a reluctance to spend the necessary money on an effective state-wide warning system and the infrastructure and personnel to have it in place that allowed this tragedy to happen. Because: Republicants reasons...

Seriously Texas DPS, do your f’ing job. Or resign and let someone who’s truly interested in doing it.

Texas voters: Just elect Democrats.

[walkingman]

1. This Texan agrees 100%.....time for a big change.

[creon]

10. yes

I agree as well

The TX Govt does not handle this sort of thing.

Does not care does not to do anything

[Delarage]

2. Has Ted Cruz left yet?

Seems like a good time for a vacation somewhere relaxing---away from all the stress and angst.

[malaise]

3. Where is Ted Cruz?

In Cancun?

[Beartracks]

5. There's nothing wrong with government that getting Republicans out of it won't fix. n/t

[SARose]

6. There are 400 first responders from 20 agencies

Working around the clock.

Ain’t nobody eating donuts!

[walkingman]

8. There were a lot of first responders in Uvalde also....of course those records are sealed...

[SARose]

9. What does Uvalde have to do with this flood

Hmmm?

The Guadalupe River in Kerrville was at a depth of 0.7 feet before the rains began.

It rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.

Think about it.

[walkingman]

11. I don't blame Hotwheels for the flooding but I do blame the Texas State government

for their continued denial of Climate Change, for their failure to provide Emergency Management as the OP described. I get awakened up all the time with Amber Alerts when the issue is no where near my area. This state has the wrong priorities for so many things...it all boils down to the fact that they put business over people. Then our POS Governor calls a pressor to talk about what he is doing every fucking time.

He can spend 11B on border security for political reasons but when it comes down to healthcare, environment (a dirty word in Texas), child care, public safety, it doesn't even get their attention. If that is not SHITHOLE government, what is?

[Mountainguy]

14. Hotwheels?

Regardless of who it's about, how is that appropriate?

[walkingman]

15. Very appropriate for dickless Greg Abbott.

[Melon]

23. HEB in Texas sends fleets of help in times of need

Seriously…the people of Texas and companies step up like no other. The government maybe weak, but the people aren’t.

During the hurricane that it North Carolina, dozens of helicopters privately held flew to North Carolina.

After Katrina, I took pictures of HEB semi trucks , dozens and dozens full of food and water going to Louisiana. HEB has trailers with showers and washing machines they mobilize.
There were also at least a hundred airboats and trailers on the highway. The Texas Cajun Navy is no joke when it comes to stepping up.

Don’t apply government to the strength of the people.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. NYT-As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas (gift links)

Some experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’ ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management officials.

🚨 NYT: As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas

Some experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’ ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management officials.

Gift link:

— MeidasTouch (@meidastouch.com) 2025-07-06T04:33:59.776Z

Link to tweet

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/politics/texas-floods-warnings-vacancies.html?unlocked_article_code=1.UU8.Zjkx.evidtrUYt_ZY&smid=tw-share

Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on Friday morning, prompting some experts to question whether staffing shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with local emergency managers as floodwaters rose.....

The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem, those former officials said — the loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after flash flood warnings were issued overnight.

The shortages are among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the death toll climbs from the floods. Separate questions have emerged about the preparedness of local communities, including Kerr County’s apparent lack of a local flood warning system. The county, roughly 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, is where many of the deaths occurred......

The National Weather Service’s San Angelo office, which is responsible for some of the areas hit hardest by Friday’s flooding, was missing a senior hydrologist, staff forecaster and meteorologist in charge, according to Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union that represents Weather Service workers.

The Weather Service’s nearby San Antonio office, which covers other areas hit by the floods, also had significant vacancies, including a warning coordination meteorologist and science officer, Mr. Fahy said. Staff members in those positions are meant to work with local emergency managers to plan for floods, including when and how to warn local residents and help them evacuate.

That office’s warning coordination meteorologist left on April 30, after taking the early retirement package the Trump administration used to reduce the number of federal employees, according to a person with knowledge of his departure......

John Sokich, who until January was director of congressional affairs for the National Weather Service, said those unfilled positions made it harder to coordinate with local officials because each Weather Service office works as a team. “Reduced staffing puts that in jeopardy,” he said......

An equally important question, he added, was how the Weather Service was coordinating with local emergency managers to act on those warnings as they came in.

“You have to have a response mechanism that involves local officials,” Dr. Uccellini said. “It involves a relationship with the emergency management community, at every level.”

But that requires having staff members in those positions, he said......

Typically, Mr. Sokich said, the Weather Service will send an official to meet regularly with local emergency managers for what are called “tabletop operations” — planning ahead of time for what to do in case of a flash flood or other major weather disaster.

But the Trump administration’s pursuit of fewer staff members means remaining employees have less time to spend coordinating with local officials, he said.

I have been through a number of hurricanes/storms including Ike, Allison, Harvey and lately Berly. There were weather service people coordinating with local officials during all of these storms. Here the DOGE and trump cuts meant that the weather service did not have the staff available to coordinate with the local officials.

[Silent Type]

12. Gen Honore -- A true American hero- said on CNN, "Texas has a lot of questions to answer"

CNN
LT. GENERAL RUSSEL L. HONORE, U.S. ARMY (RET.): From what I've seen on television, Texas ought to be commended for their response, but they're going to have a lot of questions to answer on why we had a flood watch the night before and why actions weren't taken to move people out, or to provide souring warnings. And then who's responsible in those camps for the evacuation when we are looking at a flood watch before dark, the night before?

My hats off to those magnificent pilots and those on the ground who've gone in and rescued so many over 800 people already, and they've done it in a very extreme situation. But the weather was the issue. But, you know, Erica, Texas is going to have to stand up to this. The same thing happened in 1987 on July 16th, along the same river. And Kerr, and there was a flood. Ten people died in this exact same scenario.

So, Texas is going to have to fix this. People in Texas love to go out and camp. People have been going there for decades, but they're going to have to fix this up because this is a repeat. The same thing happened in 1987 along the Guadalupe River.

[Scrivener7]

13. An observation, which is possibly a slight correction to the facts of the article:

I live just outside NYC, and we DID get phone alerts for Ida on Sept 1, 2021. They came every few minutes for about a half hour before the worst of the storm hit.

I could be wrong, but I can't imagine we got the alerts and NYC didn't.

[mr715]

16. Imagine if Joe Rogan had to go without electricity

He might have to miss leg day

[Jit423]

17. That's what happens when you promote and admire incompetent buddies. nt

[dalton99a]

18. But Abbott spent $12 billion in taxpayer money for border patrol

[struggle4progress]

21. That was their multibillion "Drown the mezkins inna river" plan

Now ya wanna plan for folk not drowning inna river?

[struggle4progress]

19. "The new GOP concept for a TX emergency plan: Yall jest eat shit an dyin a far, y'hear?"

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. Kerr County CHOSE to not install warning systems!

Hunt, TX is in Kerr County. Kerr County’s 2024-2025 budget saw a 17.5% increase in property tax revenue, an extra $4.75 million, thanks to rising values and new development. They had the money.

But instead of investing in flood sirens or modern warning systems, county leaders, elected by a solid Republican majority chose to hold the line on spending.

They even admitted sirens were considered and rejected because “the public reeled at the cost.”

Then came July 4.

The Guadalupe rose 25 feet in under an hour.

No alerts. No time. Over 70 lives lost, many of them children.

This wasn’t just a weather event. It was the result of policy. Of priorities. Of how people voted.

Kerr County had the funds, voters chose leaders who refused to use them.

[struggle4progress]

25. When it ain rainin, ya don't need no goldurn warning sirens and only a bleeding-heart nanny-state liberal

would want em

When rains and people die, ya blame the goldurn gummit for not warning ya and ya demand lower taxes so we kin git that glorious miracle of the invisible hand of the market savin lives!

[ananda]

22. So you think this will wake them up the way the deep freeze did?

My power service has really improved since then.

So.. I'm hoping they'll improve warnings and emergency
services as well.

[Initech]

24. Abbott, Paxton and Patrick need to be booted from office now!

And they can take their fucking Fox News cameras with them!

[Tarzanrock]

26. Even the 'smartest' Dumbfuck in Republican Turd World ...

could never have foreseen this catastrophic flooding in Texas. No matter how many times these lying, fucking assholes were "warned" about climate change and impending meteorlogical and climatological disasters from climate change -- none of this was nor is foreseeable to Republican assholes who fail and refuse to open their eyes and look. Of course, all those "fires" in California were and are proximately caused by California's radical Leftist, Communist Governor, Gavin Newsom, who intentionally refused to "rake" the leaves in the Federal Forests after the Turd told him to "rake" those leaves. Republicans are never responsible for disasters but Democrats are always responsible for disasters. These are "facts."

[area51]

27. "Texas voters: Just elect Democrats."

We're trying.