In recent days, the central region of Texas has been ravaged by floods. According to multiple American media reports, as of the evening of the 7th local time, the flood disaster in Texas has resulted in at least 104 deaths, with most of these incidents occurring in Ker County, where at least 84 people have died, including 28 children.
CNN reported on the 7th that meeting records from the Ker County government in Texas show that,
as early as 9 years ago, officials had proposed the establishment of a flood warning system equipped with sirens, but this system was not completed before the current flood occurred.
The report mentioned that in 2016, an official in Ker County warned that “Ker County might be the area with the highest risk of flooding in all of Texas,” but the warning system was “quite outdated.” The meeting records showed that in 2018, county officials discussed the unapproved funding request for the flood warning system and mentioned efforts to apply for funds from other state governments. In 2021, the meeting records indicated that local officials once again discussed fundraising for the flood warning system. However, since the flood last week, the county’s chief executive explicitly stated in a press conference that there is no flood warning system with sirens in Ker County. Local residents have initiated a petition demanding the upgrade of the system.
Furthermore, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kris Kristofferson told the media on the 7th that she had not found any failures in the Texas flood warning system, but she also mentioned that it is an outdated system that has been neglected for many years. However, the system’s upgrade and installation are still not complete, and new technology has not yet been fully deployed.