Katherine Waggoner was one of many residents caught off guard by the recent catastrophic flooding in the Big Sandy Creek neighborhood. Despite receiving a flood warning notification, she did not fully grasp the severity of the situation.
“The thing is, we get notifications all the time for flash floods out here. But never to this level,” Waggoner reflected on the unprecedented flooding that hit her community over the weekend. She expressed disbelief at the rapid transformation of creeks into raging rivers. “It was insane,” she added.
Similarly, Margie Bennight found herself unexpectedly trapped when her driveway flooded. Although she was safe in her house atop a hill on Fawn Drive, the intense flooding left her stranded for two days. Having lived in Big Sandy Creek since 1980, Bennight has witnessed severe flooding three times, yet this incident stood out for its speed.
“It just happened so fast,” Bennight recounted. “In all the time I’ve been here, I’ve never seen one that’s come in that fast.”
For others, like Amber Taylor, the lack of timely notifications proved alarming. Taylor recalled receiving her first major flood warning notification at 3 a.m., mere moments before her best friend called to inform her that her house had been swept away.
The initial Flood Warning issued by the National Weather Service to Travis County residents came at 1:30 p.m. on July 4, followed by additional alerts over the next 24 hours. However, many residents reported experiencing gaps in coverage, leading some to miss critical information.
Emergency notifications primarily originate from two agencies: WARN Central Texas and FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Those who received WARN notifications had either opted into the system or had their phone numbers added by officials. Martin Ritchey, head of homeland security for the Capital Area Council of Governments, states that WARN alerts reach around 75% of phones in the region.
The remaining 25% are theoretically covered through FEMA alerts, which travel via cell towers and don’t require user registration. Notifications are supposed to reach anyone within FEMA’s alert zone, but several factors can undermine this system.
For instance, poor cell service, being connected to a VPN, or having one’s phone in airplane mode can prevent alerts from being received. Furthermore, alerts may be delayed based on the service provider. In some cases, individuals opt out of FEMA alerts altogether after receiving notifications they perceive as irrelevant, leading to potential lapses in communication during emergencies.
“Nobody thinks that something bad is going to happen to them,” Ritchey noted, highlighting how users may become desensitized to frequent alerts. “While you’re going about your life you might get a bunch of these messages and be like ‘that’s annoying’ and turn it off,” he explained. This complacency can occur until an emergency arises that directly impacts their lives.
In response to the recent flooding, Eric Carter, the chief emergency management coordinator for Travis County, affirmed that the county will evaluate the effectiveness of its emergency alerts in the weeks to come.
Understanding and interpreting different weather alerts is vital for public safety. According to Ritchey, the WARN system only sends out alerts intended to convey life-saving information. It’s crucial for the public to be aware of what these alerts mean.
A flash flood watch indicates that conditions are favorable for heavy storms that could lead to flash flooding. At this stage, residents are advised to be prepared, although no immediate action is necessary.
In contrast, a flash flood warning signifies that flooding is highly likely to occur or is already happening. Typically issued minutes to hours before the onset of flood conditions, these warnings require immediate action from those in flood-prone areas.
Charlie Woodrum, the National Weather Service’s preparedness and resilience lead, emphasized the importance of taking swift measures when a warning is issued. He advised that individuals should promptly move to higher ground if they reside in affected areas and, if evacuating is unsafe, find secure shelter until floodwaters subside.
Woodrum cautioned against driving into floodwaters, mentioning that a vehicle can be swept away in as little as six inches of flowing water. The recent flooding in Central Texas serves as a stark reminder of the urgency and importance of heeding emergency alerts and the potential consequences of underestimating such warnings.
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