AUSTIN (KXAN) — Why did some camps evacuate during the July 4 Hill Country flooding while others, like Camp Mystic, didn’t? That’s a question University of Texas at Austin researchers are trying to answer.
Just as Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign a slate of bills related to camp safety and warning sirens, the University of Texas at Austin was just awarded a nearly $200,000 federal grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to investigate decision-making during the recent floods, KXAN was first to report.
Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood
“What we’re trying to do could really, definitely, influence flash flooding all over the United States,” Dr. Keri Stephens said in an exclusive interview with KXAN. “We’re really optimistic that we’re going to be able to have some very influential findings that can save lives in the future.”
Stephens, a professor at the Moody College of Communication who has taught disaster and crisis communication for two decades, will be the leader researcher on the project…