KERR COUNTY, Texas – Kerr County commissioners met on Monday to discuss several community-related topics, including a new study regarding flood impacts.
The Texas A&M University-led project is conducting a study to amplify local voices on the impacts of Fourth of July flooding, according to Dr. Garett Sansom, a university spokesperson.
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The purpose is to understand the different experiences of those who were there on July 4 and everything that followed, Sansom said. Percentages will be taken from the responses and summarized in a final report.
“For instance, if they got warnings, if they obeyed them, why they did or didn’t,” Sansom said. “As well as opportunities to understand how they relate with both their neighbors, as well as folks like (the commissioners) and other organizations, to understand the underlying cohesion of the community.”
It could also potentially inform improvements to the community.
“People tend to trust local voices more than the national voices or national media,” Sansom said. “Hopefully, the lessons we’ve learned from this could be applicable here.”
The study is designed to be easy and quick to complete, and it is randomized to ensure everyone is properly represented.
While representatives will be going door-to-door to invite participants they choose, Sansom said a QR code will be available for anyone who wants to participate.
When asked whether only residents would be included or whether county leaders would be included as well, Hanson didn’t give a clear answer.
However, he did indicate that residents in Kerr County with different experiences from the flood, including those who did and didn’t lose a house, would be asked to participate in the study.
The study still needs to go through an ethics board review before it is officially approved.
During the meeting, Kerr County commissioners unanimously authorized the county judge to move forward with the design and planning phase of the Lions Park Rebuild Project in Center Point, Texas, as well as other reconstruction projects.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Tom Jones noted that debris cleanup has progressed significantly, with some areas of the county already completed.
However, Jones cautioned that recovery is a process, and there was still much to be done in Kerr County’s flood recovery efforts.
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