Patrick, Abbott agree that state will fund flood sirens after years of Kerr County planning stalled

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Monday the state will pay for flood warning sirens along the Guadalupe River before next summer, ending nearly a decade of local planning efforts that failed to produce warning systems before Friday’s deadly disaster.

“There should have been sirens here,” Patrick said during a Fox News interview, announcing the decision made jointly with Gov. Greg Abbott. “If the city can’t afford it, then the state will step up.”

The state commitment comes after Kerr County officials spent years trying to implement flood warning infrastructure, most recently planning a $75,000 early warning detection system just two months before the catastrophic flooding that killed 87 people.

Patrick said sirens could have saved lives during Friday’s historic flood, which caught residents and campers by surprise when the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours.

“Had we had sirens along this area, all up and down… it’s possible that would have saved some of these lives,” Patrick said.

Recent Planning Efforts

Kerr County Commissioners Court discussed flood warning systems as recently as May, with officials considering a $75,000 software-based early warning detection system designed to “force feed information about floods” and pay for repairs to existing USGS gauges.

The county had budgeted $4,750 for flood warning systems and was coordinating with the Upper Guadalupe River Authority on emergency monitoring equipment that officials described as a “great benefit.”

UGRA General Manager Tara Bushnoe was scheduled to present on emergency monitoring equipment, but the disaster struck before new systems could be implemented.

Grant Denial

In 2016, Kerr County partnered with Kerrville and UGRA to form a flood warning steering committee and applied for a $1 million state grant for warning infrastructure. That grant was denied in 2018, leaving local officials without funding for comprehensive flood warning systems.

Early Opposition

The flood warning discussion dates to 2016, when Kerr County Commissioners Court approved a $50,000 engineering study for a Kerr County Flood Warning System despite concerns from Commissioner Baldwin, who opposed using Road and Bridge funds for what he called an “extravagant” project.

Baldwin specifically worried the system was “headed towards sirens” and voted against the 2016 interlocal agreement with UGRA and Kerrville.

An engineering firm described the existing flood warning system as “antiquated and not reliable” during 2016 discussions, a characterization that proved tragically accurate Friday when early morning flooding caught the community off guard.

Legislative Action

Abbott’s office said potential warning solutions will be discussed during a special legislative session July 21. The governor noted that Hill Country camps have operated for “almost 100 years” with their own warning protocols.

Patrick’s announcement represents a significant policy shift, with the state stepping in to fund infrastructure that local voters previously rejected due to high costs. Some Texas cities like San Marcos already have flood sirens.

The Texas Hill Country is known as “Flash Flood Alley” due to its susceptibility to rapid flooding, but Friday’s disaster exceeded all historical records and engineering predictions.

State funding removes the financial barriers that prevented implementation of warning systems despite nearly a decade of local planning efforts.