Kerr County Under Fire: Officials Face Scrutiny Over Alleged Emergency Alert System Failures Amid Deadly Floods

Kerr County officials are facing intense scrutiny following deadly floods last weekend, as discrepancies emerge regarding the county’s emergency alert system. Despite public statements from County Judge Rob Kelly on July 4 asserting the area had “no warning system” and that the flood was unforeseen, The Texas Newsroom has uncovered evidence suggesting the county does possess a mass-alert system, CodeRED, and that first responders requested its activation hours before some residents received warnings.

The devastating floods, which saw the Guadalupe River rise by 26 feet in just 45 minutes, have tragically claimed over 100 lives across Texas, with at least 94 fatalities reported locally in Kerr County as of Tuesday afternoon. Governor Greg Abbott also noted 161 people remain missing in the county, intensifying calls for accountability.

Emergency radio transmissions reviewed by The Texas Newsroom indicate that volunteer firefighters requested a CodeRED alert as early as 4:22 a.m. on July 4, only to be met with delays from dispatchers requiring special authorization. While some residents received alerts within an hour, others reported not getting their first warning until after 10 a.m., long after the initial surge. Former Kerr County IT director John David Trolinger, who helped install the CodeRED system in 2009, corroborated these inconsistencies, providing recordings that show early calls for alerts.

The CodeRED system, designed for real-time emergency notifications, has been in place in Kerr County since 2009 and is capable of alerting entire counties or specific affected areas. However, questions persist about why its use appeared sporadic and inconsistent during this critical event, and why county officials have not directly addressed these discrepancies. The ongoing rescue and recovery efforts are now overshadowed by a growing demand for answers regarding the county’s disaster preparedness and response protocols.

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