Texas lawmakers race against the clock on flood recovery
Back in Austin for a special session, Texas lawmakers have just 30 days to tackle a growing list of urgent — and controversial — priorities, and flood recovery is front and center. The devastating July 4 floods across Central Texas have made it impossible to ignore the cracks in our emergency preparedness systems.
On the table:
- New flood warning systems
- Stronger emergency communication networks
- Hill Country disaster relief funding
- Streamlined natural disaster regulations
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants new sirens installed along the Guadalupe River, arguing that cell alerts aren’t cutting it in low-lying areas. But experts caution that good intentions don’t equal good policy — and that missteps in disaster planning can cost lives. The pressure’s on for lawmakers to act fast and get it right.
As always, we’ll be watching…