Target: Joe Herring, Jr., Mayor of Kerrville, TX
Goal: Push forward proposed flood warning system to keep communities safe.
Independence Day was marred when a flash flood swept through central Texas in the early morning hours, leaving devastation in its wake. The Guadalupe River swelled by over two dozen feet following downpours of rain that seemed to catch forecasters off-guard. Dozens of people died during the disaster, and many went missing, including children from a riverside summer camp.
Serious questions are being raised about the level of warning this camp – along with the entire area – received before the flood. An advisory had been issued earlier in the day, but the warning did not reach emergency status until it was too late. Kerrville, where the flooding took place, is part of one of the most flood-prone regions in the nation. Texas itself also leads the country by a large margin in flood-related deaths. A 1980s-era flood in roughly the same region killed ten teenagers, who were also being evacuated from a camp.
Despite the clear and present dangers, these types of facilities continue to exist along the river and without adequate warning systems. A flood warning system was apparently proposed a few years prior, but the proposal was ultimately abandoned. And earlier in 2025, the Texas Senate nixed a bill that would have granted funding to statewide warning system upgrades. With nationwide staffing cuts at weather agencies, it is not a matter of if but when the next tragedy will strike.
Sign the petition below to demand leaders of this endangered locale finally take the steps necessary to prevent more pain and suffering.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mayor Herring,
The deaths of ten teenagers in 1987 from an unforgiving flood was apparently not enough. Will the dozens of fatalities in 2025 finally be enough for leaders of one of the most at-risk regions for flooding in the country to take necessary action? Officials knew of the imminent dangers, or else the idea of a riverside flood warning system would have never been floated.
Cost reportedly led to the rejection of this proposal, but now the cost of this inaction in human tragedy is exponential. Camps that likely never should have existed along these treacherous pathways became sitting ducks. Stop pointing fingers, accept responsibility, and craft an immediate plan of action going forward that will mitigate the loss of lives and livelihoods. Begin with the abandoned warning system that could have and should have saved lives.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: KenB
