“After deadly floods killed more than 100 people in Texas’ Hill Country last July, officials vowed major changes in hopes of preventing the failures that contributed to the high death toll. They promised better flood warning systems, tighter safety rules for children’s camps and improvements to the state’s water infrastructure.

That work was far from done when a new round of storms began pummeling the state this week, triggering catastrophic flash floods in some of the same areas devastated in 2025. At least two people died. Hundreds needed rescue.

But residents in some hard-hit areas said a year of preparation did make a difference. Newly installed flood sirens sounded in the darkness, warning people to get out. Phones buzzed with alerts that weren’t sent out in last year’s disaster…

Unlike last summer, when local officials in Kerr County said they had been reluctant to 'cry wolf' and order evacuations and failed to send out wireless alerts to warn of flash floods, Kerr County issued four alerts and the city of Kerrville issued one early on Thursday as the risk for flooding became apparent…

'Last year, we got no alarms. We had no idea what was going on,' said Suzanne Sutphin Gschwind, of Kerrville.

'This year, very different,' she said, with multiple texts and calls coming in from local authorities, a weather channel and her doorbell camera. One night the warnings arrived 'about every two hours.'

'I think we would all like to err on the side of too much,' she said.”

From Associated Press.