The first hearing of the Texas Committee focused on floods was held on Wednesday. Lawmakers heard from several state agencies about what they believe is needed to prevent loss of life in floods similar to what the state saw on July 4.
Several recommendations were tossed around during the more than eight hour long hearing. One of the recommendations from Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd was to start only allowing credentialed, professionally certified emergency managers — which in smaller counties can often be an appointed position.
Also testifying was Freeman Martin, executive director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. He told lawmakers about the difficulties responders faced identifying victims. He also suggested new technology the state could invest in.
"There's a technology out with iris scans," he explained. "When I talked about the nuclear DNA decomposing after a couple of days is no good. The iris scans of the eyes is good up to 30 days. It's the same technology you use with a cell phone for your facial recognition."
A representative from Texas Parks and Wildlife called for more staffing, saying having more Texas game wardens would mean they could strategically deploy them across the state when major weather events seemed likely.
The next meeting will be held in Kerrville, the area hardest hit by the storm. Lawmakers expect it to be emotional, but it will also be a chance to hear from residents impacted by the storm and from area officials still dealing with recovery and cleanup efforts.