Texas flood warning upgrades show progress but gaps remain after recent storms
New sirens, mobile alerts and other measures introduced after the 2025 Hill Country floods helped some residents evacuate, yet inconsistent coverage left other communities without timely warnings.
A series of storms this week caused flash floods across parts of Texas that were hard-hit by the 2025 Hill Country disaster, killing at least two people and prompting hundreds of rescues. State and local officials said upgrades to early-warning systems – including new outdoor sirens, expanded wireless alerts and upgraded emergency-management tools – improved public response in several counties.
In Kerr County, officials issued four alerts and the city of Kerrville sent an early warning as flood risk rose, prompting residents along Quinlan Creek to move to higher ground. Those messages were supplemented by National Weather Service watches, warnings and emergency notifications sent to broadcast outlets, weather radios and mobile phones. Residents such as Suzanne Sutphin Gschwind noted that, unlike the previous year, they received multiple texts, calls and door-bell camera alerts throughout the night.
However, coverage was uneven. The National Weather Service logged 38 alerts for southwest Texas between Tuesday and Thursday, but many of those lacked the hyper-local detail provided by municipal systems. In Uvalde County, no wireless emergency alerts were recorded, and some residents reported learning of rising waters only after personal phone calls or by waking to wet floors.
State Senator Paul Bettencourt, who authored 2025 legislation funding flood sirens, said the newly installed sirens in Ingram, Kerr and Kendall counties were activated during the recent floods, and that 28 additional counties are eligible for similar funding. Upper Guadalupe River Authority manager Tara Bushnoe confirmed that three of six new sirens in Kerr County sounded to direct people to higher ground.
Private firms are also filling gaps. River Sentry, founded after the 2025 floods, has placed more than 100 sirens on privately owned sites along the Guadalupe River, while Hononu received a state contract to supply water-level sensor technology to agencies. The fire-tracking app Watch Duty has expanded its functionality to include flood monitoring.
Governor Greg Abbott said the improvements saved lives, noting that Texans were “far more prepared” this year. Nonetheless, officials acknowledged that the warning system remains a work in progress, especially in remote rural areas where alerts may not reach all residents.