Comal County preparing routine test of high-water warning system this week

COMAL COUNTY, Texas – Comal County is preparing for a routine test of its high-water warning system this week and is ensuring residents there will be no emergency.

The county plans to test the sirens throughout the day on Thursday, July 17, to ensure the system works properly during a flooding event, according to a Facebook post on Monday.

“You may hear sirens sounding intermittently — but there is no emergency,” the post read.

The county said no resident action was needed, but urged residents to spread the word about the testing.

Flood sirens have become a contested topic of discussion after Fourth of July flooding in Texas took the lives of over 100 people, with the largest concentration in Kerr County.

‘A big investment that can save lives’

Cary Zayas, a Comal County public information officer, said the county had both high and low-water crossing systems.

Here are the nine high-water siren locations:

• First, second, third and fourth crossings on River Road
• 8660 River Road
• 526 River Cliff Drive
• Rebecca Creek Road Bridge
• FM 311 Bridge
• Nicholls Landing / Spring Branch Road Bridge

Six other locations are downstream of Canyon Lake and three are upstream along the Guadalupe River, Zayas said in an emailed statement.

The sirens, which can be activated remotely when necessary, are triggered by water surface elevation and rate of rise, she said.

The system is designed to alert residents as early as possible, given the rapid strength of flash flooding.

Zayas said the county was working to connect the systems directly to National Weather Service alerts, "so you get faster, more accurate notifications when every second counts."

“We can’t control the weather,” Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Kelley said in a partial statement. “But we can control how quickly we react to it. This system is designed to give residents the warning they need—when they need it most.”

Comal County taxpayers approved the $1.9 million system. Future county budgets could include costs to maintain and expand the system, she said.

“It’s a big investment that can save lives, give our crews better tools to respond faster, and give residents greater peace of mind during emergencies,” Zayas said.

Read more:

• Comfort’s decision to install sirens credited with saving lives during Texas Hill Country floods
• Kerr County commissioners had conversations about flood warning system almost a decade ago
• Ingram city councilman says he’ll advocate for flood warning sirens