AUSTIN, Texas – A state Senate committee convened Friday to deliberate legislation aimed at bolstering the state’s readiness for natural disasters following the July flooding that killed more than 130 in Central Texas.
SB 1 and SB 2 — the bills addressing the Hill Country flooding — both focus on improving safety measures, training, and preparedness for potential future disasters.
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A key point from SB1 requires campgrounds in a 100-year floodplain to provide emergency rooftop ladders. It also requires the adoption of flash flood evacuation plans from camp officials.
Flooding along the Guadalupe River killed 108 in Kerr County alone. Two people in Kerr County remain missing, including a girl from Camp Mystic.
Camp Mystic has confirmed the deaths of 27 campers and camp counselors in the catastrophic flood.
SB1 would also:
- Establish emergency management succession lines for county judges and mayors, if unavailable.
- Create an emergency manager licensing program led by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).
- Streamline justice of the peace procedures in reporting deaths.
Regarding SB2, a key point includes requiring the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to determine flood-prone areas that would warrant the installation of outdoor warning sirens.
John Hofmann, the executive vice president for the Lower Colorado Authority, was present during the committee meeting and expressed support for SB2.
He told committee members the bill, if passed, could make a real difference in saving lives and property.
“This bill would also give our local emergency coordinators and election officials another tool in their toolbox for public notification,” Hofmann said. “With all the testimony we have heard in this committee, adding warning sirens in flash flood alley could make a real difference in public safety.”
The bill addresses the TWDB’s regulation of rules and standards for maintaining sirens, including the requirement for regular testing and documentation to ensure they are operational.
BACKGROUND
For the special session, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered lawmakers to take up bills on natural disaster preparation, response and recovery.
Kerr County officials have stated that they were unaware of the flood’s severity and lacked an updated flood warning system.
The meeting is taking place nearly a week after the Texas House Democrats left the state to avoid voting on new congressional voting maps.
Abbott has threatened to keep calling state lawmakers into special sessions until outnumbered Democrats return to face the redistricting vote, telling them they can’t stay away forever. The current special session ends Aug. 19, and the missing lawmakers already face mounting fines for every day they are gone, and civil arrest warrants issued by the state House.
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