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Nearly a year after Fourth of July flooding in the Hill Country left 139 people dead and one person still missing, residents gathered in Hunt on Thursday for an update on a new flood warning system being developed by the Upper Guadalupe River Authority and Kerr County.
The system includes sirens, rain gauges and mobile alerts designed to give residents more time to react to rising water.
"Intense rain in our headwaters is what we're trying to detect. And so that's where the rain gauges are going to be concentrated," said Tara Bushnoe, who manages the Upper Guadalupe River Authority.
Bushnoe said the goal is to provide earlier and more accurate information about flood threats.
Residents also raised questions about who will be responsible when the next emergency strikes.
After last year's floods caught local officials off guard, attendees sought clearer answers about who will make critical decisions during future emergencies.
One resident posed a question that echoed a concern raised throughout the meeting:
"Who's in charge of the big picture? If you saw a flow chart, who's kinda in charge?"
Bushnoe responded that "right now it's UGRA and Kerr County."
County officials declined to speak with the media, but residents attending the meeting expressed a range of views about the project.
Joanne Williams said she was encouraged by both the technology and the outreach effort.
"I think it's fantastic that they're doing this kind of community outreach," Williams said.
Kathleen Cook, who lives about 10 miles west of Hunt, questioned whether the effort goes far enough.
"I really think this is just a band-aid that the politicians want to be able to say that yes, we have put sirens to save the people," Cook said.
Rebecca Murphy said state leaders ignored earlier warnings about the region's flood risk.
"The state—they did not fund warning systems; they knew we were at risk after Wimberley. You know, a study was done," Murphy said.
At the same time, Murphy said she was encouraged by the warning system now being put in place.
"I feel like some efforts are being made to do the right thing," she said.
But she said she wished those efforts had come sooner.
"It's just really sad to close the barn door after all the cattle have escaped," she said.
Officials said additional equipment will be installed in the coming months as they continue refining the warning network.
Since last year's floods, state lawmakers have approved funding for flood warning systems and other flood mitigation efforts across Texas.
