Some communities in Flash Flood Alley, which stretches through Central Texas and includes the Colorado and Guadalupe River basins, would be required to install flood warning sirens under a bill approved by state lawmakers Aug. 27.
The legislation, which seeks to respond to the deadly July 4-5 floods, passed the Texas House with unanimous support Aug. 26. State senators approved a minor amendment to the bill Aug. 27, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott, who deemed improving early flood warning systems one of his top priorities for the current special legislative session.
What you need to know
Under Senate Bill 3:
- The Texas Water Development Board would identify areas impacted by the deadly July 4-5 floods that have “a history of consistent or severe flooding.”
- Local governments in the identified areas would be required to install flood warning sirens if they are not already present.
- The state would distribute up to $50,000 in grants to help cities and counties install warning systems.
At least 137 people died due to the historic flooding, much of which occurred before sunrise July 4. Some lawmakers have said they were concerned that some Hill Country residents and visitors missed or did not receive emergency alerts issued by the National Weather Service.
Before the Senate unanimously approved the final bill Aug. 27, bill author Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said the proposed requirements would be "transformative [and] save lives in the future, so we never have to go through this devastating loss of life again."
If Abbott signs SB 3, it would take effect immediately, meaning warning sirens could be installed before next summer.
Bettencourt said he hoped SB 3 and other flood-related bills being considered "would make a difference to future families of Texas."
"I pray that we never have to have a hearing again where 27 young women are basically eulogized... because of a lack of a warning system, lack of a camp evacuation system, lack of the obvious—that you have to move people to higher ground," he said on the Senate floor.
Also of note
The state comptroller’s office announced Aug. 25 that it will offer up to $200 million in grants to help communities detect and warn residents about future floods. Local governments, utility providers and river authorities have until Nov. 20 to apply for funding, according to the grant website.
The grant program is designed to build “extremely high-speed” broadband infrastructure aimed at “[improving] connectivity for flood detection and emergency warning systems in vulnerable areas.”
House Bill 22, which House lawmakers approved Aug. 21, would expand the state’s broadband infrastructure fund to cover emergency communication and warning systems. HB 22 had not been considered by the Senate as of press time.
More information
Texas lawmakers are considering several other proposals that were drafted in response to the deadly flooding, including:
- House Bill 1, which would require Texas youth camps to create and annually update comprehensive plans for disasters and other emergencies, with daily fines for camps that do not comply. House lawmakers passed the bill Aug. 21 and sent it to the Senate.
- Senate Bill 1, which would prohibit summer camps from operating cabins in floodplains and require all campers to be evacuated once a flood warning is issued near a camp. The bill passed the Senate Aug. 21 and was sent to the House.
- Senate Bill 2, which would establish licensing requirements for local emergency management coordinators and create a mass fatality training program for justices of the peace. Both chambers passed the bill and are fine-tuning the details in a closed-door conference committee.
- House Bill 3, which would establish a state interoperability council to develop an emergency communications plan and administer grants to help local governments acquire new radio equipment. House lawmakers passed the bill Aug. 21 and sent it to the Senate.
- Senate Bill 5, which would set aside up to $368 million for flood relief grants, including $240 million to match federal grants and $50 million to help communities impacted by the July 4-5 floods install flood warning sirens. The bill is in a conference committee after passing both chambers.
- House Bill 20, which would create an accreditation system aimed at preventing fraudulent organizations from soliciting and receiving donations in the wake of disasters. The bill passed the House Aug. 21 and was sent to the Senate.
- House Bill 48, which would create a work group tasked with studying statewide alert notification systems and issuing a report by December 2026. House lawmakers initially approved the bill Aug. 27.
- House Bill 149, which would direct the governor’s office to review planned purchases of local radio systems used by first responders. It initially passed the House on Aug. 27.
Lawmakers have said the slate of bills could help save lives and reduce damage from future floods by tightening safety requirements at summer camps, increasing qualifications to lead a city or county’s emergency operations and facilitating the development of a statewide emergency communications plan.
“We have a chance now to right these wrongs, to say ‘Never again,’” Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, said on the House floor Aug. 21.
