KERR COUNTY, Texas – Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority say new sirens and other recent upgrades to the area’s flood warning system helped keep the public informed amid flooding this week.
According to UGRA General Manager Tara Bushnoe, three flood warning sirens were activated along the Guadalupe River under the county’s protocol. Two sirens were sounded along the South Fork, and one was activated in Hunt.
>> Texas Hill Country floods test new warning systems after last year’s deadly disaster
Three other sirens were not activated since those sites recorded only minor flooding, Bushnoe said.
Upgrades to the area’s flood warning system were far from done when a new round of storms began pummeling the Hill Country this week, triggering catastrophic flash floods in some of the same areas devastated on July 4, 2025. At least two people died this week, and more than 500 people were rescued.
But residents in some hard-hit areas said a year of preparation did make a difference, the Associated Press reported.
Residents told the AP that phones buzzed with alerts that weren’t sent out in last year’s disaster.
Bushnoe also pointed to new emergency procedures and UGRA’s “RiverHub” dashboard as important tools during the flood response. The dashboard is designed to provide real-time information to both emergency crews and the public.
Officials said more improvements are planned, including additional gauges, better forecast modeling and more flood warning sirens.
“There is more work to be done, and we remain dedicated to building on these improvements in the future,” Bushnoe said.