Texas death toll nears 130
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The early warnings and alerts from the National Weather Service didn’t indicate a catastrophic flood was on its way.
A study puts the spotlight on Texas as the leading U.S. state by far for flood-related deaths, with more than 1,000 of them from 1959 to 2019
The National Weather Service issued timely alerts, meteorologists say, but few were listening in the hours before the early-morning flash floods along the Guadalupe River
Texas forecasters issued a series of early-morning warnings about “life-threatening flooding” along the Guadalupe River.
In areas that see rainfall and increased cloud cover, temperatures are expected to remain below seasonal averages into next week, providing some relief from the summer heat. However, much of central and southern Texas, areas in the recovery phase from the catastrophic flooding, will face dangerous heat instead of renewed flooding.
Some experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’ ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management officials.
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.
Weather model data shows the National Weather Service had reason to warn of higher flood risks. Still, meteorologists say the agency made reasonable predictions.
Central Texas braces for more rain after deadly floods; officials warn of renewed flash flood risk in already saturated areas. Follow Newsweek's live blog.
Former federal officials and outside experts have warned for months that President Donald Trump’s staffing cuts to the National Weather Service could endanger lives.