The Fourth of July flood bore a striking similarity to the Hill Country flood that killed 10 summer campers in 1987. In the following years, officials took little action to protect against the next storm.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Environment
Texas’ oldest wildlife refuge was set to expand. Then the Trump administration changed course.
Established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge was set to grow up to 700,000 acres to protect wildlife in West Texas and the Panhandle.
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Hill Country floods
Along Guadalupe River, more than a dozen summer camps have structures in flood zones
Most of the camps were built decades ago, before modern modeling and flood maps. Counties have little power to regulate construction flood plains.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Republicans and Democrats, locked in redistricting battle, weaponize flood response
With Democrats’ walkout over redistricting bringing the House to a standstill, both parties are accusing each other of abandoning Central Texas flood victims.
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Hill Country floods
Texas identifies the 119 people killed in Kerr County floods
Most victims were Texans, but some were visiting from other states like California, Florida and Alabama. The youngest victims were 1 year old; the oldest was 91.
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Hill Country floods
After Hill Country floods, families face a difficult question: Rebuild, or let go?
They lost homes and summer cabins to the July 4 flood in Kerr County. Now they are weighing whether it makes sense to rebuild.
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Energy
Hundreds of old EV batteries have new jobs in Texas: Stabilizing the power grid
After reaching the end of their automotive lives, the batteries are being reused to provide lower-cost grid energy storage.
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Hill Country floods
Texas House committee discusses flood bills despite standstill
Only one Democrat taking part in the quorum break was absent from the panel as the group discussed five bills and the chair vowed their work would go on.
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Hill Country floods
Kerr County officials failed to follow certain aspects of disaster plan during Texas floods
The five-year-old plan, required by the state, detailed when additional monitoring was to take place and who was responsible for alerting the public to evacuate.
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Hill Country floods
Top two Kerr County emergency officials say they were asleep as July 4 floods struck
Their statements to state legislators marked the first time county officials have spoken publicly about what they were doing the morning of the disaster that killed more than 100 people in the county.