A flash flood in Texas has become a political issue the same way hurricanes sometimes do. (1 Viewer)

[SamAndreas]

The flood in Texas was almost as bad as the Big Thompson flood was in Colorado back in 1976. Both were caused by about 10 to 11 inches of rain. The death toll in Texas is around 60 people now, in Colorado 76 there were 144 deaths, which is gross.

The New York Times published this and that makes it an official political issue. Oddly enough they lifted the paywall at least for me, you might be able to click and read it as well:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/us/politics/texas-floods-warnings-vacancies.html

The premises is that Trump caused vacancies at the weather forecast office such that those poor folks didn't get a warning, as thus they didn't seek higher ground, as thus they died.

The question is it trumps fault

 

[Optimus Prime]

The Neo-fascist hate group Patriot Front is being slammed for "inserting itself" into disaster relief efforts in Texas, according to The Guardian.

Leader Thomas Rousseau, a Texas native, announced in a video message on Telegram that his "activists" were “responding to the flooding, which has destroyed communities and taken the lives of scores of Americans."

Rousseau added that his group "is prioritizing their 'people' and 'European peoples' in those operations," the report said.

Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism told The Guardian she wasn't surprised to see Patriot Front "inserting itself into disaster relief in Texas."

“The group was founded there, and like other extremist groups, they want to take advantage of relief efforts to mainstream their ideas, present themselves as non-threatening and helping the community, and ultimately use what they hope will be positive PR to recruit and grow," she said.

"Beirich noted that everyone from Klansmen to armed militias have seen value in public appearances providing disaster aid," the report said.

Beirich continued, "We’ve seen David Duke do this in the past, and more recently Veterans on Patrol inserted themselves into the relief efforts in Asheville after last year’s hurricane. The concern is that it works – and Patriot Front’s white supremacist agenda gets laundered as positive, and that helps them spread hate and recruit.”..........

US neo-fascist group claims it is part of Texas floods relief efforts

Patriot Front leader says so-called ‘activists’ prioritizing giving supplies to their ‘people’ and ‘European peoples’

www.theguardian.com

 

[efil4]

We didnt make it political- the politicians do. By measures like this

 

[efil4]

THIS is why- this is AT A PRESS CONFERENCE in Kerr County for the victims and response

Trump bragging about "hottest nation" and that we were DEAD.

AT A MEMORIAL FOR the DEAD from the flood.

 

[MT15]

The more we find out, the worse it gets.

 

[coldseat]

That must be the new GOP talking point. Well, Abbott heaven forbid we should study such a horrible deadly failure of emergency management in order to learn how to avoid the next one.

These people no longer give a tinker’s damn about their constituents do they? Just CYA and everyone is on their own.

The governor, state legislators and local officials here in Texas do not give a fork about the victims, they are in full cover your arse mode. They do this with every tragedy in Texas, whether it's the Uvalde massacre or this. There will be no accountability and the dumb right wing voters of this state will let them slide and not hold them accountable. They will all be reelected and we will have more tragedies in this state. I wouldn't advise anybody move to this state, it's the culmination of right wing run amuck. Just pure incompetence. You add on top of that a horrible federal government response and this is what you get.

 

[MT15]

The governor, state legislators and local officials here in Texas do not give a fork about the victims, they are in full cover your arse mode. They do this with every tragedy in Texas, whether it's the Uvalde massacre or this. There will be no accountability and the dumb right wing voters of this state will let them slide and not hold them accountable. They will all be reelected and we will have more tragedies in this state. I wouldn't advise anybody move to this state, it's the culmination of right wing run amuck. Just pure incompetence. You add on top of that a horrible federal government response and this is what you get.

We are not going to visit TX or FL at this time. For any reason. There are plenty of wonderful places to go here and not be in that poisonous atmosphere. We used to go to FL at least once a year. Haven’t been there for 3 years now.

 

[MT15]

 

[MT15]

Worse and worse.

 

[Dragon]

If people can't report that help is needed then no help will be coming. Another way to save money!

 

[fooferdoggie]

FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show​

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the years before rushing waters swept away children and counselors, a review by The Associated Press found.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency included the prestigious girls’ summer camp in a “Special Flood Hazard Area” in its National Flood Insurance map for Kerr County in 2011, which means it was required to have flood insurance and faced tighter regulation on any future construction projects.
But Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle, who has extensively studied FEMA’s flood map determinations, said it was “particularly disturbing” that a camp in charge of the safety of so many young people would receive exemptions from basic flood regulation.






“It’s a mystery to me why they weren’t taking proactive steps to move structures away from the risk, let alone challenging what seems like a very reasonable map that shows these structures were in the 100-year flood zone,” she said.


Camp Mystic didn’t respond to emails seeking comment and calls to it rang unanswered. The camp has called the flood an “unimaginable tragedy” and added in a statement Thursday that it had restored power for the purpose of communicating with its supporters.

FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the years before rushing waters swept away children and counselors.

apnews.com

 

[efil4]

FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show​

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the years before rushing waters swept away children and counselors, a review by The Associated Press found.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency included the prestigious girls’ summer camp in a “Special Flood Hazard Area” in its National Flood Insurance map for Kerr County in 2011, which means it was required to have flood insurance and faced tighter regulation on any future construction projects.
But Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle, who has extensively studied FEMA’s flood map determinations, said it was “particularly disturbing” that a camp in charge of the safety of so many young people would receive exemptions from basic flood regulation.






“It’s a mystery to me why they weren’t taking proactive steps to move structures away from the risk, let alone challenging what seems like a very reasonable map that shows these structures were in the 100-year flood zone,” she said.


Camp Mystic didn’t respond to emails seeking comment and calls to it rang unanswered. The camp has called the flood an “unimaginable tragedy” and added in a statement Thursday that it had restored power for the purpose of communicating with its supporters.

FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the years before rushing waters swept away children and counselors.

apnews.com

The only way yo get that exemption is by submitting a LOMA ( Letter of Map Adjustment) to FEMA.

You must submit surveys, flood elevation certs and they must show your lowest elevation is ABOVE the Base Flood Elevation ( which is the water elevation in a flood that has 1% chance of happening in any one year) for that area

These are highly scrutinized.

So then next step will be to get copies of the submitted LOMA along with all the documentation submitted.

My guess is either the documentation submitted was "enhanced" for favorable result ( and that's bad news for the surveyor) or they were able to get some assistance from someone in DC to push this LOMA thru and award Camp Mystic the relief.

Seeing that this area has had flooding over last 15 years, I find it quite disturbing that Camp Mystic would even apply for.

But then again, flood rates have skyrocketed, especially for flood prone areas. And if they have had flood claims prior, they would have been place in "Repetitive Flood" program which is even more costly.
Sounds like a cost saving measure they took vs safety

Wow

 

[fooferdoggie]

But then again, flood rates have skyrocketed, especially for flood prone areas. And if they have had flood claims prior, they would have been place in "Repetitive Flood" program which is even more costly.
Sounds like a cost saving measure they took vs safety

Wow

Except for the fact that they live in America and they are going to be sued into oblivion.

 

[Optimus Prime]

 

[Dragon]

That is completely crazy

 

[Eeyore]

 

[Sendai]

That is completely crazy

Yeah, this didn’t happen.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I knew that would happen. this is what it has come to.

 

[fooferdoggie]

How much you want they are going to be begging now?