Texas lawmakers on Thursday will examine how local authorities responded to the deadly July 4 floods as public scrutiny focuses on the city and county officials responsible for emergency management.
The field hearing in Kerr County, Texas — where at least 108 of the flood’s 138 deaths occurred — will be the first chance for newly formed legislative committees on disaster preparedness and flooding to question key local officials, who remain involved in active recovery operations.
Lawmakers have already identified local shortfalls. City and county officials apparently did not order evacuations in the morning of July 4, when a weather forecast first warned of a flood emergency, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd said during the first legislative hearing on the flood, held July 23.
Kidd told lawmakers they would have to wait until Thursday to get answers about evacuation efforts and other local actions.
