Looks like the fuckers in Texas want to blame the NWS for not issuing alerts

[waterwatcher123]

17. I totally agree with you.

The USGS stream gauge sites show the upper reaches of the river going from base flow to above flood stage in less than two hours. These narrow watersheds funnel water very quickly into the mainstem where water levels rise correspondingly fast. You mentioned that the area was in drought too. Drought makes soil less permeable and likely contributed more runoff than would be expected as well. I doubt anyone could have predicted rainfall amounts any better than the NWS (too many variables). They could have automated warnings on the USGS stream gauges that measure the rate of change over time. However, it is a judgement call to order an evacuation early in a storm (especially in the middle of the night).

I worked the aftermath of a 500 year storm event that hit our area (walked and photo documented the damage). Lots of the damage occurred because humans fundamentally altered natural drainage patterns and removed the sponges (wetlands). I think it cost about 200 million dollars just to fix the infrastructure (luckily no loss of life).

The local governments who allow all this unfettered development in flood prone areas bear a large part of the responsibility. They have engineers who can calculate the 100 year event for a development project. However, they rarely look at the watershed as a whole and the risks associated with certain locations (requires an awareness of their place in a watershed).

The real problem is that this Trump administration is in total denial of what climate change means for a rapidly changing world. The planet and atmosphere could care less what Trump and his cronies believe. But the people will pay the price for the indifference and ignorance (so sorry for the loss of life).