(NewsNation) — In the aftermath of the central Texas floods, a lot of eyes have now turned to the National Weather Service and its protocols for warnings.
The NWS, which has 122 offices across the country, says it issued timely alerts in advance of the deadly floods on July 3 and accelerated them around 1 a.m. on July 4. It acknowledged forecasts are only one facet of a response, and local law enforcement must be able to interpret those warnings, communicate them to the public and help communities prepare for safety.
“Once we get to the warning stage, that can be anywhere from a few minutes to maybe an hour or so depending on how the storm is evolving, how likely the threat is and how significant it might be,” said Mike Bardou, warning coordinator meteorologist and senior forecaster.
Experts said that a flood warning system was deemed too costly by the Texas county. Kerr County officials acknowledged installing a flood warning system in 2017 was not feasible, as the county lost out on a bid to secure a $1 million grant to fund the project.
“We’re always looking at the data for what storms are doing, what the atmosphere is doing and how that’s going to come together,” added Bardou. “Taking in reports, so it’s a continuous cycle for us.”
The deadly floods have led to renewed scrutiny of President Trump’s administration making cuts at the nation’s weather and climate research agencies. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is also the home of the NWS, lost hundreds of staffers to the layoffs.
In addition, Paul Yura, the warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS offices in San Antonio/Austin, also took a buyout in April. The science operations officer at that same office also retired around the same time.
“Weather doesn’t turn off when the sun goes down, and you have to make sure something’s going to wake you up if it’s a risk to you wherever you might be and whatever the weather hazard might be,” added Scott Lincoln, senior service hydrologist at NWS Chicago.
Asked if the gravity of the responsibility of the deadly floods weighs on them, several office members spoke of how pblockionate they are about their obligations and that they care about what they do while protecting life and property. The agency also does a full-scale look at the policies and procedures whenever a tragic event occurs that might be weather-related.
So far, 109 people have been confirmed dead from the flooding, while 161 are still missing.
