Like many of y'all I've been watching with horror and sorrow about the flooding in the Hill Country this weekend. My heart goes out to everyone especially any Clutchfans affected by this. I just donated to the Hill Country Community Foundation Kerr County Flood Relief Fund And if anyone has any other information about good ways to help please share.
Send money, not stuff. Money gets to people who need help faster than donations of things. Plus, it's easier managed. When stuff comes in, you need people to sort through it and organize it and distribute it. Plus, much of the stuff that comes in is not usable for various reasons. https://hazards.colorado.edu/news/research-counts/avoiding-the-second-disaster-of-unwanted-donations
Send FEMA - get a warning siren - use the AMBER alert system. This tragedy was preventable, and I feel so bad for all those kids and people washed away - in the night. This has happened before, and will again, if we don't start putting in proper warning systems and staffing them correctly...... I feel so badly for those people who sent their children to summer camp for the time of their lives and now has become the tragedy of their lives. Hell Kerville is getting rained on again today - heavy rain forecast too.....ugh. DD
When you say warning systems, do you mean like a siren? Or wireless alerts? My understanding is Kerrville submitted a grant request for a warning system but was denied. Seeking clarification on that. Not sure if that was through Feds or state. In regard to a wireless emergency alert system, it exists, it’s just under utilized by most eligible jurisdictions. The legislature has looked at creating duplicate systems but there is no need. IPAWS exists. Problem is less than 15% of eligible entities use it in Texas. It costs virtually nothing and utilizes user friendly software that allows a host of warnings that can be geofenced. it’s a little early to suggest this tragedy was “preventable.” Yes, if we sent out evacuation notices every time there is a flash flood and people obeyed, sure, it’s always preventable. But there’s also a real phenomenon known as alert fatigue. People get pissed off when they get too many amber alerts. People during Harvey stopped looking at their phones because they got alerts all day about floods. NWS sent out multiple WEA alerts. and why do we need to send FEMA? TDEM is there and has been coordinating efforts and assisting local first responders since Friday.
Didn’t really intend to start a debate, just providing facts and context from someone involved in the response efforts. I’ve done a lot of work with WEA/IPAWS and I work directly with TDEM/DPS in these events.
ALL OF THE ABOVE....SIren - sure, Wireless alerts yes sir.....Alert Coordinator that was cut by the NOAA - yes .... We need to protect people that is literally the GOVERNMENT's job - this type of flooding has happened at least 4-5 times since I have been in Austin - same thing, tropical remnants fueled by another storm off the West coast of Baha training moisture into our atmosphere - we need to do a better job of doing ACTIONABLE things instead of sending thoughts and prayers after - which do nothing to help anyone. DD
Let this thread continue with the Humanitarian theme that it was founded upon and take the analysis of the Nuts & Bolts of what happened elsewhere. Maybe create a new thread and hope that it doesn't become a candidate for the D&D.
Too many beleive it's because they ReSeeded the clouds to make more rain to kill more people to try to make Trump look bad (No they legit beleive this type of thing) MEANWHILE - those that can do something don't give a sh*t " . . we all gonna die." - Republican politician " . . . . they will get over it." - Republican politician " . .. Greece is nice this time of year." - Republican politician It is what it is . . . they don't care " they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population" Rocket River
Too many cranky old farts here to heed this. @DaDakota @Rocket River https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/...fires-and-tornado-season-without-fema.325782/
One of the camp counselors at camp Mystic said that counselors are required to hand over their phone when working (including overnight) so they never stood a chance of hearing an alert...
