July 8Jul 8 Popular Post The friend's mother that I mentioned a few posts back, is the Mollie from that story. His dad wrote/posted that. I can't imagine the survivor's guilt he will feel RIP Mollie Schaffer Edited July 8Jul 8 by Tylerocks
July 8Jul 8 The mom of a missing girl and I are both on the board of a nonprofit; our quarterly meeting is tomorrow - obviously she will be absent, but I’m dreading that meeting. I just hope we can get through the agenda before everyone is crying.
July 8Jul 8 1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said: I think at points of massive debris pile up it acts as a drain catch essentially and there could be piles of individuals that floated into it as well as individually found. That and people in enclosures like RVs or vehicles tend to be inside unless the structure breaks apart.
July 8Jul 8 2 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said: That and people in enclosures like RVs or vehicles tend to be inside unless the structure breaks apart. I saw a TikTok where a witness said she saw something like a pile of 40ish cars or so that haven’t even been gone through yet.
July 8Jul 8 42 minutes ago, Chopper said: FEMA boss is AWOL per Marisa Kabas. "Staff at FEMA haven't received any internal communications from the agency or department leadership since the deadly floods in Texas, which is unheard of in the wake of a major disaster." "Acting Administrator David Richardson is 'nowhere to be found.'" Why is this a surprise? The president said State’s are on their own and the feds won’t help, and that was before he set fire to every agency by mass layoffs.
July 9Jul 9 2 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said: Personally wouldn’t be surprised if it’s quite a bit more The guy from the Cajun Navy was on CNN this afternoon and said based upon the number of cars and especially RV’s they are finding he thought it was more like 500. He mentioned something about RV’s being submerged in 40 feet of water and something about air pockets. Anchor asked if he was suggesting people could be alive and he kind of stammered and then the feed was lost.
July 9Jul 9 28 minutes ago, Foosters said: Heckuva job Davey Edited July 9Jul 9 by Cousin Strawberry wrong
July 9Jul 9 Popular Post Jim Spencer, fwiw Spoiler IN DEFENSE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE… Upon learning tonight it is now possible the death toll could reach 250, I am increasingly depressed as I am sure many of you are. This hits so close to home for me having been a member of the weather community for 40 years now—34 in Austin. I’m also painfully aware what we all feel pales with that of families of those missing or lost. Our hearts break for them all. As I mentioned in previous posts we must have answers. And in my opinion, which is mine alone and not that of KXAN-TV, here is where we stand: 1. The meteorologists that I have worked with hand-in hand for years at our local National Weather Service office are consummate professionals and I know are equally devastated about the events of July 4-5, but they should take comfort in the fact that they did their job. Flash Flood Watches and Warnings MEAN SOMETHING. And the first Watch went out on the afternoon of July 3rd. The first Flash Flood Warning went out nearly three hours before water started sweeping away campers at Camp Mystic and 4 hours before many more died downriver. The fact that Kerr County officials and others say “we didn’t know it was coming” is either the height of negligence or a demonstration of total incompetence. The questions that remain include, did adequate cell service alarm their phones at 1:15 a.m.? Was NOAA weather radio reception in that area adequate to receive the Warning and set off an alert tone? Either way, with a Flash Flood Watch in effect for 14 hours before the the flooding began, and a Warning issued 2-4 hours before the catastrophe, there is NO excuse for the lack of preparation and response from the camps, county officials, law enforcement, etc. I read that the Kerrville City Manager was jogging on the Guadalupe River trail at 4 a.m., minutes before a FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY was declared, yet unaware that a flood wave was just miles upriver headed rapidly his way. How is it possible he was not aware his city had been placed under Flash Flood Warning nearly 3 hours earlier? I am not assigning blame to the City Manager, but obviously their emergency communications system in that city and county was woefully, dangerously inadequate. 2. Regarding these controversial federal cuts and the understaffing at the National Weather Service office: Yes, there were six unfilled positions, but the official word is that the office was fully staffed that morning. Maybe we will never know if things would have turned out differently if some of these important vacancies hadn’t existed. Donald Rumsfeld famously said, “You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want…” I heard a former NOAA administrator use the analogy of two football teams facing off—one with 11 players, but the other with only 8. I know at KXAN, our forecast products and public messaging was always best when we had more people in the weather center rather than fewer. Who wants to do their job with one hand tied behind their back? And here is my great concern: Even if the meteorologists in that office that morning, or the meteorologists who are no longer there due to cuts believe in their hearts that things might have been different if not for the vacancies, would they tell us their true feelings? I have my doubts in this age of intimidation of those who criticize political decisions. Hell, if I thought I or my family might be subject to death threats if I went public with a criticism of policy-makers, I might reconsider too—or at least say what I needed to say anonymously. I’m not saying this is the case necessarily, but it would be understandable. 3. Finally, to those in the Austin area—Williamson, Travis and Burnet counties who have lost loved ones or still haven’t found the missing, our hearts ache for you too. This additional tragedy also haunts us at KXAN, but also defines a bigger problem. The National Weather Service did an excellent job, issuing a Flash Flood Emergency well in advance, early July 5th for the very areas where people were swept away. KXAN meteorologists were on the air broadcasting dire Warnings. But, were those people who were swept away asleep at the time? Did they hear their phones alarm, or had they turned off their “alerts” setting? Did they have a NOAA Weather Radio that alarmed them, or was the first sign of disaster when they felt their homes floating? These alerts have to be taken seriously, and it is CRITICAL that people who live near creeks, streams and rivers always have a method of receiving these alerts, then take take action to protect themselves without waiting on officials to evacuate them. But, we’ve been preaching the importance of taking Warnings seriously and having a weather radio, etc. forever and nothing seems to change. Sirens are not always feasible, but I believe along high recreation waterways like the Guadalupe river they will need to be mandatory. We have technology now that could automatically trigger these sirens. We should invest in that immediately. Unfortunately, I’m becoming resigned to the fact that elsewhere, these tragic events will simply remain a fact of life.
July 9Jul 9 54 minutes ago, Mittens said: We should invest in that immediately. Unfortunately, I’m becoming resigned to the fact that elsewhere, these tragic events will simply remain a fact of life.
July 9Jul 9 Because….and this is importantly….the dead Texans are what tells us the policies are working.
July 9Jul 9 Popular Post How many of these stories are there going to be https://archive.is/7KaNVThey found Ella within the last hour, still looking for young Mr. Heartfield. Cadaver dogs doing work.
July 9Jul 9 Popular Post The stories are endless. Here is just one of those coming across my social media feeds: My friend’s ex wife, mother, and his two daughters were staying at the River Inn. They were in the second story building for almost 11 hours before they were rescued. That story above makes me even sicker than I already am.
July 9Jul 9 I am just amazed by the grace that these parents have demonstrated in some of the interviews. This family are really good people and it really makes me angry they are going through this.
July 9Jul 9 3 minutes ago, Chopper said: Three days later with barely any federal response he's spiking the football and proclaiming victory but sure you keep arguing. Are there any reports that more help, assets or resources are needed?
July 9Jul 9 11 minutes ago, troph said: Jim Spencer’s assessment is 100% on point and it was easily known from about 9am on July 4th. Agree. He’s done a really good job of articulating and summarizing where the failures occurred. I know we will find out more in the coming days, weeks and months, but for now he’s addressed the shortcomings in a clear and concise manner without injecting a lot of emotion into it.
July 9Jul 9 20 minutes ago, troph said: Jim Spencer’s assessment is 100% on point and it was easily known from about 9am on July 4th. It echos stuff you and I have both said.
July 9Jul 9 Popular Post Totally suspicious of you people but I have my daughter back, my next door neighbor girl back, daughter’s friends all good. Dallas friend’s kids made it thru. One of my close friends lost his daughter, and my other less close friend hasn’t found his yet. We are still shocked but the girls seem completely normal.
July 9Jul 9 9 hours ago, Willfully Horn said: Here are the relevant transcripts of the Kerr County Commissioners Court. Goddamnit. These fucks actually said this. Dead in the water.
July 9Jul 9 Popular Post We saw our friends tonight. Happenstance took us by his in-laws’ house where they are staying. Saw him standing on the porch and we flipped around to park and walked up to house to give him a hug.As you can imagine they are just gutted. I can’t even imagine. His wife came out and we all hugged and cried on the porch for a bit. We were on our way to another friend’s birthday dinner so we couldn’t stay. Hoping to maybe stop by for an extended period tomorrow or Thursday.
July 9Jul 9 8 hours ago, CTC2 said: I am just amazed by the grace that these parents have demonstrated in some of the interviews. This family are really good people and it really makes me angry they are going through this. That is one strong and amazing man. Thanks for posting.
July 9Jul 9 Looks like the death toll from this is gonna be more than double what the death toll from Harvey was
July 9Jul 9 11 hours ago, Mittens said: Jim Spencer, fwiw Hide contents IN DEFENSE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE… Upon learning tonight it is now possible the death toll could reach 250, I am increasingly depressed as I am sure many of you are. This hits so close to home for me having been a member of the weather community for 40 years now—34 in Austin. I’m also painfully aware what we all feel pales with that of families of those missing or lost. Our hearts break for them all. As I mentioned in previous posts we must have answers. And in my opinion, which is mine alone and not that of KXAN-TV, here is where we stand: 1. The meteorologists that I have worked with hand-in hand for years at our local National Weather Service office are consummate professionals and I know are equally devastated about the events of July 4-5, but they should take comfort in the fact that they did their job. Flash Flood Watches and Warnings MEAN SOMETHING. And the first Watch went out on the afternoon of July 3rd. The first Flash Flood Warning went out nearly three hours before water started sweeping away campers at Camp Mystic and 4 hours before many more died downriver. The fact that Kerr County officials and others say “we didn’t know it was coming” is either the height of negligence or a demonstration of total incompetence. The questions that remain include, did adequate cell service alarm their phones at 1:15 a.m.? Was NOAA weather radio reception in that area adequate to receive the Warning and set off an alert tone? Either way, with a Flash Flood Watch in effect for 14 hours before the the flooding began, and a Warning issued 2-4 hours before the catastrophe, there is NO excuse for the lack of preparation and response from the camps, county officials, law enforcement, etc. I read that the Kerrville City Manager was jogging on the Guadalupe River trail at 4 a.m., minutes before a FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY was declared, yet unaware that a flood wave was just miles upriver headed rapidly his way. How is it possible he was not aware his city had been placed under Flash Flood Warning nearly 3 hours earlier? I am not assigning blame to the City Manager, but obviously their emergency communications system in that city and county was woefully, dangerously inadequate. 2. Regarding these controversial federal cuts and the understaffing at the National Weather Service office: Yes, there were six unfilled positions, but the official word is that the office was fully staffed that morning. Maybe we will never know if things would have turned out differently if some of these important vacancies hadn’t existed. Donald Rumsfeld famously said, “You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want…” I heard a former NOAA administrator use the analogy of two football teams facing off—one with 11 players, but the other with only 8. I know at KXAN, our forecast products and public messaging was always best when we had more people in the weather center rather than fewer. Who wants to do their job with one hand tied behind their back? And here is my great concern: Even if the meteorologists in that office that morning, or the meteorologists who are no longer there due to cuts believe in their hearts that things might have been different if not for the vacancies, would they tell us their true feelings? I have my doubts in this age of intimidation of those who criticize political decisions. Hell, if I thought I or my family might be subject to death threats if I went public with a criticism of policy-makers, I might reconsider too—or at least say what I needed to say anonymously. I’m not saying this is the case necessarily, but it would be understandable. 3. Finally, to those in the Austin area—Williamson, Travis and Burnet counties who have lost loved ones or still haven’t found the missing, our hearts ache for you too. This additional tragedy also haunts us at KXAN, but also defines a bigger problem. The National Weather Service did an excellent job, issuing a Flash Flood Emergency well in advance, early July 5th for the very areas where people were swept away. KXAN meteorologists were on the air broadcasting dire Warnings. But, were those people who were swept away asleep at the time? Did they hear their phones alarm, or had they turned off their “alerts” setting? Did they have a NOAA Weather Radio that alarmed them, or was the first sign of disaster when they felt their homes floating? These alerts have to be taken seriously, and it is CRITICAL that people who live near creeks, streams and rivers always have a method of receiving these alerts, then take take action to protect themselves without waiting on officials to evacuate them. But, we’ve been preaching the importance of taking Warnings seriously and having a weather radio, etc. forever and nothing seems to change. Sirens are not always feasible, but I believe along high recreation waterways like the Guadalupe river they will need to be mandatory. We have technology now that could automatically trigger these sirens. We should invest in that immediately. Unfortunately, I’m becoming resigned to the fact that elsewhere, these tragic events will simply remain a fact of life. Thanks for sharing. Point 1 makes me ragey.
July 9Jul 9 Friend lives up on Sandy Creek arm, they had APD circling for what looks like a good hour to an hour and a half sweeping up and down the creek arm. He wrote me back about 30 minutes later and there were 3 police / sheriff boats up that way near Jonestown park motoring around a large debris field. Curious if there's been any word if they found something.
July 9Jul 9 Will county politicians and officials be able to explain away their negligence? The discussion is intensifying. https://archive.is/p4XlT
July 9Jul 9 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B3UsoQYuR/ Friend of mine worked with him. The water DGAF about that Jeep. Dude didn't stand a chance.
July 9Jul 9 10 hours ago, Gucci_Suit said: Totally suspicious of you people but I have my daughter back, my next door neighbor girl back, daughter’s friends all good. Dallas friend’s kids made it thru. One of my close friends lost his daughter, and my other less close friend hasn’t found his yet. We are still shocked but the girls seem completely normal. Thank God for that. Kids that age are resilient, but speaking from personal experience with children who have had tragic loss in their life, they can hide it pretty well. I wish I could tell you how to talk to them about it, but I did a terrible job. If you’re in the DFW area you can PM me for some information on a really good counselor.
July 9Jul 9 16 minutes ago, PvilleStang said: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B3UsoQYuR/ Friend of mine worked with him. The water DGAF about that Jeep. Dude didn't stand a chance. My god, the amount of rock that thing is shredded and buried in.
July 9Jul 9 from the NYT article - as if I wasn't sick enough over the thought of what those folks endured....... Quote During last week’s flood, the emergency response was more widely deployed further downstream from the camps. Police in Kerrville, the county seat, went door to door warning people to evacuate when the floodwaters approached later. Rita Olsen, who lives along the river in Kerrville, said she awoke about 5:30 a.m. to the sound of screams—and knocking on her door from a Kerrville policewoman. “She said you need to get out now,” recalled Olsen, 43, a chef who fled with her two dogs as the river rose to her fence. A Ring security-camera video shows the officer telling her: “The people you hear screaming are in the river right now.”
July 9Jul 9 21 minutes ago, Dendox said: from the NYT article - as if I wasn't sick enough over the thought of what those folks endured....... Rita is a FB "friend" that I've never met. She's a very accomplished BBQ cook in Texas and that's how we connected online. (Really close friend is deep in Texas BBQ scene and knows all these folks, including Rita.) I had no idea any of this was going on until I jumped on FB mid-morning on the Fourth. I saw her videos, read her story and was aghast. I knew she was in the Hill Country but I wasn't exactly sure where. As the day went on, the news got worse and worse.
July 9Jul 9 Facebook is basically bots posting for other bots. And olds.By now every single SEC coach and various celebrities have stepped up to pay for all the victims funerals. Facebook said so.AI Sark hugging families in Hunt, too. Unless that was real.
July 9Jul 9 8 minutes ago, troph said: assuming 300 souls perish, my quick searching and chatGPT-ing suggests the following: 1. top 25-30 deadliest natural disaster in US history 2. top 3 deadliest floods in US history 3. deadliest flood in Texas history (apparently a flood in 1921 (Williamson county / CenTex) killed 215) My first thought is how many of those other natural disasters were predicted to occur, from the day before to an hour before, depending on how you view general flood watches vs specific flood warnings. Time of occurrence is a major factor in this particular type of disaster. As is date of occurrence. Both magnified the death toll substantially. it’s the same as if a large population spontaneously gathered in the direct path of a large tornado, and then went to sleep a couple of hours before the tornado spun up. Edited July 9Jul 9 by Pato del Muerto
July 9Jul 9 Edited bc the tweet has disappeared it seems like. If I find another one I will replace here. Edited July 9Jul 9 by Nicole44
July 9Jul 9 Popular Post SIL said his DPS recovery team is now staging from the park in Bergheim (just outside of Boerne) for their work today. That's maybe 20 minutes from Canyon Lake. They are working their way here fast. I saw dead deer floating in the lake yesterday. I think some victims are going to be found a few hundred yards from my front door. FML On a happier note he said they attacked that brisket like it had bullied them in grade school. Firing up that mf'er again and taking some swine tonight. Guessing I'll learn some things. Will report back what I can. Edited July 9Jul 9 by Cajun
July 9Jul 9 11 minutes ago, Cajun said: I saw dead deer floating in the lake yesterday. I think some victims are going to be found a few hundred yards from my front door. Is the lake under the no fly zone or could you drone it and report?
July 9Jul 9 I've been flying the drone, so I hope I'm not out of compliance. The deer was already being collected by animal control at ramp 7. That's how I noticed it on my bike ride.
July 9Jul 9 57 minutes ago, troph said: that is unbelievably awful. I can't even imagine being woken up, told to leave, and then told those screams are from people actively dying. mother of god. My whole thought process of reading that was why in the ever loving fuck are cops going door to door and you just don't have a audible alert that notifies the entire area to evacuate immediately. I suppose door to door cops is more efficient according to Kerr Co and Kerrville officials. Edited July 9Jul 9 by BurntOrange&White
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