The Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding met Thursday in Kerrville to continue hearings and live testimony regarding emergency response efforts during the devastating floods that struck Kendall and Kerr counties earlier this summer.
Kerr County Judge Robert Kelly opened the hearing by expressing gratitude to first responders and the community. He acknowledged staffing challenges in his office, saying, “I am a local attorney and serve as a county judge with very small staff. We have one coordinator. We are doing the best we can.”
Kelly promised transparency and cooperation with media, investigative entities, and law firms representing flood victims. “We have nothing to hide, we ask for patience,” he said, pledging to provide all paperwork documenting the county’s actions.
Addressing questions about his absence during the floods and the delayed emergency notifications and evacuations, Kelly explained he was at his Lake Travis home preparing for a Fourth of July celebration. “I had received no weather alerts — my first indication there was a severe flood came when calls and texts from Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, and Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice woke me up,” Kelly said.
Kelly described the flooding as “something I could never have imagined,” noting, “We now know that at that time the flooding had overtaken Camp Mystic and several upriver camps.”
He criticized the National Weather Service for failing to forecast the flood in a timely manner. However, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick sharply criticized Kelly’s own absence during the critical early period. “I never saw you on day one,” Patrick said. “You weren’t here. We went through the list of every camp [15 camps], and the only camp not accounted for was Camp Mystic. Everyone was working their ass off, and you were nowhere to be found.”
A timeline of events during the early morning of the flood was detailed during the hearing: 2 a.m. — Floodwaters at Camp Mystic reached campers’ ankles. Campers were told to stay inside cabins. Kerr County Emergency Manager William Thomas said protocol would have been to call the sheriff’s office, but no such call was made, according to Sheriff Leitha.
3:30 a.m. — Campers were on their roofs. Sheriff Leitha called for “all hands on deck” as flooding reached Schumacher Crossing.
4:20 a.m. — Sheriff Leitha awoke and joined deputies in the emergency response.
4:22 a.m. — A Code RED alert was requested.
5:01 a.m. — Code RED was issued.
State Representative Ann Johnson (D) highlighted the lack of leadership at the scene during the crucial hours. “The three guys responsible for sounding the alarm were effectively unavailable,” she said. “Your Emergency Manager [William Thomas] was sick, Judge Kelly was in Lake Travis, and you [Sheriff Leitha] were asleep until 4:20 [a.m.].”
Sheriff Leitha defended his deputies, saying they were acting in the absence of his presence. But Senator Charles Schwertner (R) was not satisfied, asking if deputies had been pre-positioned in low-lying areas given the forecast. “At that time, the weather called for 1-3 inches of rain, 5-7 in isolated areas, so no,” Leitha replied. “It was just a normal day for us.”
LocalresidentBuddBolton voiced frustration over emergency notification failures. “I got woken up by a neighbor,” said Bolton, an independent contractor. “There were about twenty firetrucks and other emergency personnel outside my home and not a single one of them knocked on my door.”
Bolton said he only learned about the flood after his home was swept away. “I see children screaming in the RV park,” Bolton said. “I personally lost twenty-seven people.”
Bolton offered to install a river monitoring system for $6,500, a project he previously completed in Dallas. Funding for improvements remains a contentious issue. Lt. Governor Patrick assured the committee that state funding would be approved to enhance sirens and warning systems in Kerrville. “Governor Greg Abbott and I are committed to this,” Patrick said.
However, the committee pointed to missed opportunities prior to the disaster. Emergency Manager Thomas revealed only six of the nineteen camps in Kerr County had emergency evacuation plans.
Senator Pete Flores (R) warned, “This monster will be back. We will learn from you [the panel] to better prepare for when it comes back again.”
While Kerr County officials faced tough questions, Kendall County was praised for its effective preparation and response.
Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R) confirmed with Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk that the county had suffered zero fatalities. “That’s correct,” Stolarczyk said. “We had zero fatalities in Kendall County.”
A key factor was a $20 million bond initiative passed by 66% of voters, which allowed Kendall County to purchase large tracts of flood-prone land. “There are no manufacturers or infrastructures in those areas, correct?” Kolkhorst asked. Stolarczyk confirmed only temporary properties of up to 90 days are allowed.
“Our citizens willingly raised their property taxes for this,” Stolarczyk said. “Our community is very invested in the wellbeing and welfare of our residents.”
The hearing concluded with further testimonies from flood victims. Kerr County officials emphasized plans to upgrade communication systems, establish backup plans for official absences, install warning sirens along the Guadalupe River, and maintain FEMA-compliant emergency protocols.
“Our community is grieving, shaken, but we are not broken,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said, visibly emotional.
Kerrville’s death toll currently stands at 108, including 37 children. Two people remain missing.
Officials from both counties and members of the Senate Committee expressed deep gratitude to volunteer fire departments, EMS, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Coast Guard, and all first responders for their efforts during the crisis.
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