***Official 2025 Weather Thread***

[KidSilverhair]

The use of Weather radios, despite being "old technology" is still very reliable. All of the flooding alerts were broadcast by the NWS over this service in that region of Texas.

I am sure the NWS alerts were sent out as always, with weather radios and local media getting the warnings as they happened.

But if local emergency authorities were only using Facebook and X, and not pushing alerts out via cell phone or by other means, that’s not good.

There’s still lots that’s unknown about this tragedy, and I’m willing to admit some of the sources I’ve seen may have gotten it wrong. It’s also a fact that the timing of the storms, rapidly intensifying in the early morning hours, made notifying people all the more difficult.

 

[jsb]

The use of Weather radios, despite being "old technology" is still very reliable. All of the flooding alerts were broadcast by the NWS over this service in that region of Texas.

It’ll be interesting to see the procedures the camp had in place. I know of a camp in Iowa—much more rustic than this one—where there was a pretty bad flash flood over night and campers were stranded for a few hours without a way to get to base camp or any contact about what was going on. I don’t think any cabins or tents were in danger but it was close. They changed their procedures after to make sure base camp always had a way to be in contact during the night and when storms hit.

Sometimes there’s nothing you can do but I’m sure there will be lessons learned.

 

[BCClone]

I am sure the NWS alerts were sent out as always, with weather radios and local media getting the warnings as they happened.

But if local emergency authorities were only using Facebook and X, and not pushing alerts out via cell phone or by other means, that’s not good.

There’s still lots that’s unknown about this tragedy, and I’m willing to admit some of the sources I’ve seen may have gotten it wrong. It’s also a fact that the timing of the storms, rapidly intensifying in the early morning hours, made notifying people all the more difficult.

The email notifications usually require signing up. Otherwise they would have had to somehow push them to the whole US or at least all of Texas since most people don’t camp a couple miles away from their house.

 

[Clonehomer]

The email notifications usually require signing up. Otherwise they would have had to somehow push them to the whole US or at least all of Texas since most people don’t camp a couple miles away from their house.

All smart phones have the ability to get emergency notifications without the need to sign up. Unfortunately, a lot of people have them silenced.

But there’s also a lot of people that turn off their phones when camping. So maybe flooding needs to be treated like tornados with sirens? At least in rural areas with recreational areas.

 

[cowgirl836]

Well, there‘s this. If local officials were only using X and Facebook while the rains came down, people not terminally online might not have had the full picture.

View attachment 152208

Plus I believe the emergency happened after midnight. You can't be doing that **** via social media. This feels negligent.

 

[cowgirl836]

All smart phones have the ability to get emergency notifications without the need to sign up. Unfortunately, a lot of people have them silenced.

But there’s also a lot of people that turn off their phones when camping. So maybe flooding needs to be treated like tornados with sirens? At least in rural areas with recreational areas.

I read Texas in particular is overzealous in their usage of emergency texts (in cop got injured across the state) which leads to people disabling them as well.

 

[FLYINGCYCLONE]

June 26 I was at the ISU Research Farm at Kanawha. There was a computer generated tornado SE of Corwith, so 6-7 miles away. 100 phones lit up at the same time. Mine was in silent mode. Not sure if there was visual sighting or not. I didn’t sign up for that but I get it anyway. Does anyone know what would be included? Abducted people hit my phone. What else.

 

[somecyguy]

I read Texas in particular is overzealous in their usage of emergency texts (in cop got injured across the state) which leads to people disabling them as well.

The Iowa amber alerts got so ridiculous that I turned them off. Alerting me at 4am for a vehicle leaving Council Bluffs when I live in CR is not a good use of resources.

 

[flycy]

I wouldn't jump too hard on either side of the alerts issue. My guess is the normal alerts went out and were ignored because of both the hour and the frequency of alerts that come to nothing. It's a tragic event so there will be finger pointing much of it unjustified.

 

[Iastfan112]

June 26 I was at the ISU Research Farm at Kanawha. There was a computer generated tornado SE of Corwith, so 6-7 miles away. 100 phones lit up at the same time. Mine was in silent mode. Not sure if there was visual sighting or not. I didn’t sign up for that but I get it anyway. Does anyone know what would be included? Abducted people hit my phone. What else.

Here's what mine looks like on Android. Extreme will alert for sure on tornadoes and severe derecho like t storms and almost certainly the flood emergency that was issued. It may not do the flash flood warning, you might need to enable the severe threat category for that. But camps 100% should have people with that setting active, particularly in flood prone areas

 

[BCClone]

All smart phones have the ability to get emergency notifications without the need to sign up. Unfortunately, a lot of people have them silenced.

But there’s also a lot of people that turn off their phones when camping. So maybe flooding needs to be treated like tornados with sirens? At least in rural areas with recreational areas.

If you flood the whole US or even just the state of Texas with every warning, it will make people even less attentive to them than they are now. Sirens in campgrounds may be the best way. It alerts all there the quickest and most efficient way.

Can phones get notifications when they are in SOS status? I know we were just in Olympic national park and our phones were in that most of the hikes we were on.

 

[BCClone]

June 26 I was at the ISU Research Farm at Kanawha. There was a computer generated tornado SE of Corwith, so 6-7 miles away. 100 phones lit up at the same time. Mine was in silent mode. Not sure if there was visual sighting or not. I didn’t sign up for that but I get it anyway. Does anyone know what would be included? Abducted people hit my phone. What else.

I was driving through Kanawha aroind that time to NWICYs farms (hope you talked to him as he was there) And never got any alerts except for on googlemaps as I was entering a tornado area.

 

[Clonehomer]

If you flood the whole US or even just the state of Texas with every warning, it will make people even less attentive to them than they are now. Sirens in campgrounds may be the best way. It alerts all there the quickest and most efficient way.

Can phones get notifications when they are in SOS status? I know we were just in Olympic national park and our phones were in that most of the hikes we were on.

You have to be more selective with the warnings than state wide, or even county wide. Determine warnings based on cell towers or GPS for those actually affected.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a push for more warning systems at camps similar to how tornado shelters became standard after tornados went though scout camps.

 

[cstrunk]

Maybe you can add/use sirens for some places like kids camps. That seems like a lot of money/maintenance. They have an effective range of 1-5 miles.

The bigger issue here is that camp owners/management should understand the dangers of flash flooding and once they get the alert, take proper action to let everyone else know. Especially in the Texas Hill Country known as "Flash Flood Alley".

 

[FLYINGCYCLONE]

Since February 1st, my daughter has been camping from Southern Texas up the West Coast and into Canada. And now heading towards Iowa. She has been in over half of the National Parks. When she is in the parks, most of the time there is no phone signal. So if something bad happens she is sol. She told me by her next trip, next year she can get satelite phone on her Apple phone? Sounds like a good idea for places like in Texas.

 

[FLYINGCYCLONE]

An article about the NFL, the Cowboys and Texans donating $1.5M to the families is on CBS Sports. It mentions about 750 young people at this camp grounds. Must be a big place.

 

[cowgirl836]

Maybe you can add/use sirens for some places like kids camps. That seems like a lot of money/maintenance. They have an effective range of 1-5 miles.

The bigger issue here is that camp owners/management should understand the dangers of flash flooding and once they get the alert, take proper action to let everyone else know. Especially in the Texas Hill Country known as "Flash Flood Alley".

I thought this was an informative article on the warning timing, forecast, emergency response, etc. Directly mentions that a siren warning system was considered but decided to be too costly around 2016. Camps had a big flood in 1987 that also killed a number of campers...would stand to reason they have additional measures in place. Boy scout camp in our flash flood prone bluff area got evacuated more than once. Not sure if they can still use it. Think they eventually banned camping in the state park. Hired kid woke up to his tent floating one time.

The end does directly talk about the current administration posture toward meteorology so I won't go there outside Cave but I think the first two thirds is a really good layout of how the pieces fell into place for those interested in reading.

Latest on Texas Hill Country flood tragedy

Chantal makes landfall in South Carolina

balancedweather.substack.com

 

[jsb]

I thought this was an informative article on the warning timing, forecast, emergency response, etc. Directly mentions that a siren warning system was considered but decided to be too costly around 2016. Camps had a big flood in 1987 that also killed a number of campers...would stand to reason they have additional measures in place. Boy scout camp in our flash flood prone bluff area got evacuated more than once. Not sure if they can still use it. Think they eventually banned camping in the state park. Hired kid woke up to his tent floating one time.

The end does directly talk about the current administration posture toward meteorology so I won't go there outside Cave but I think the first two thirds is a really good layout of how the pieces fell into place for those interested in reading.

Latest on Texas Hill Country flood tragedy

Chantal makes landfall in South Carolina

balancedweather.substack.com

I had no idea that FEMA is the one that issues the cell phone alerts. I wonder who will have this responsibility once FEMA is eliminated next year.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

The end does directly talk about the current administration posture toward meteorology so I won't go there outside Cave but I think the first two thirds is a really good layout of how the pieces fell into place for those interested in reading.

Latest on Texas Hill Country flood tragedy

Chantal makes landfall in South Carolina

balancedweather.substack.com

You just can't help yourself can you?

A 26 foot rise of rushing water in 45 minutes. You cannot even comprehend that. There is no "posture" toward meteorology that would have changed a thing. Because there is no one or thing that could or would have forecast that type of rain in that small of area at that exact time. Anyone who says anything different and/or agrees has the sense of a bed post.

The only thing that would have saved anyone in all this is for the camp not to be there. That's it and that's all.

 

[BCClone]

I had no idea that FEMA is the one that issues the cell phone alerts. I wonder who will have this responsibility once FEMA is eliminated next year.

For my county the county dispatch does the cell phone alerts.