Weather warnings predicted devastation from both the Texas floods and Hurricane Helene. But in both disasters, people were left in harm’s way.

Max Chesnes is the Tampa Bay Times' environment and climate reporter, covering public lands, water quality, wildlife and everything in between. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Instagram @MaxChesnes. Anyone can view a sampling of recent comments, but you must be a Times subscriber to contribute. Log in above or subscribe here.

The first weather emergency alert sent by the National Weather Service with urgent language instructing people to "seek higher ground now" was sent at 4:03 a.m. local time.

Alert fatigue may have led some residents to ignore warnings. Spotty cell service also could have kept some alerts from coming in at all.

There's no sense in finger-pointing over whether or not alerts went out fast enough in Texas, said Landry. As she sees it, preparing for the weather comes down to knowing the landscape where you live and planning out what to do if disaster strikes. "You have to be aware and prepared," she said.

CBS News analysis shows there were 22 warnings sent by the National Weather Service for Kerr County and the Kerrville area, but many residents say they didn't get alerts.

Officials in a Texas town where nobody died amid the state's devastating flooding last week are crediting an updated siren system with saving lives.