The recent flooding in Texas is absolutely heartbreaking and my deepest condolences go out to all those affected. As of my recent research (correct me if I am wrong), at least 82 people have lost their lives, including 28 children, with dozens still missing which many are from youth camps along the river

. The devastation has been especially severe in Kerr county, where the river rose to 26 feet in JUST 45 minutes. 45 MINUTES! THAT IS WILD, I about spit out my coffee, in times of emergency I bet that 45 minutes felt like 45 seconds to all those people

, it snuck up overwhelming communities/campgrounds in the early morning hours when most were asleep. We all need to keep in mind that Texas is no stranger to flash flooding, especially in the hill country, which is often referred to as the flash flood alley due to its soil and runoffs. However IMO, the scale and speed of this weather event were unprecedented and not entirely natural. The flooding was triggered by a very intense slow moving storm partially fueled by Barry. Some streamers/storm watchers and vetted meteorologists have noted unusual lightning and radar blips/anomalies during the event, which warrants further dives into weather modification, call me a conspiracy theorist, but too many coincidences just laying around. While there has been some public tension around the political povs, I believe the focus should remain on the meteorological and infrastructural factors. The NWS did issue multiple flood alerts/warnings including a flash flood emergency, but the speed of the rivers rise left very little time for evacuation in many areas. Notably, like you touched base on in gerneral, Kerr county does lack a formal flood warning system, a vulnerability that had been discussed for years but never fully addressed due to funding concerns that I guess you could ultimately tie it into politics, IMO no matter the party your associated with your first job is protect your people and due to Texas location/Gulf, further/better safety measures should have long been in place/prioritized. In times like these, it’s essential to set aside speculation and focus on facts, compassion, and recovery. What happened in Texas was not normal by any standard, we all can at least agree on that as an obvious factor, and it underscores the urgent need for improved early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, and continued investment in meteorological sources. How fast things can happen, just makes you appreciate all the little things. We all need to stay humble, while we are bickering and back and fourth, there are families facing grief and events they never could imagine impacting them. Cherish each moment.