A state legislative investigation has determined that Kerr County officials were largely absent and failed to coordinate emergency responses during the deadly July 4 floods that claimed numerous lives at summer camps. The probe concluded that alerts and warnings were effectively disregarded by county leadership, who were substantially away from their duties.
Then-Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William "Dub" Thomas was notably absent in the early hours of the disaster. Testimony indicated Thomas had been ill since July 2 and took July 3 off. Investigators found no evidence that a county representative joined a state emergency preparation call on that day to review potential storm risks for the holiday weekend. When the flooding began, Thomas was sick and asleep without a designated delegate to assume his responsibilities.
County Judge Rob Kelly was also away from his post, staying at a lake house in the Austin area. Under the county’s emergency plan, the most senior county commissioner should have assumed the judge’s duties, while the judge was required to designate someone to cover the coordinator’s role. Neither transition appears to have occurred effectively. The legislative report stated that the county judge was unaware of the developing situation while the tragedy unfolded.
As the Guadalupe River rose rapidly, a 911 caller reported the water level increasing upstream on the south fork at 2:52 a.m. The floodwaters peaked around 6:45 a.m. in Kerrville, the county seat, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. By that time, county law enforcement began managing the response, with text messages revealing efforts to locate evacuees and stage media and resources.
Experts note that such confusion is common during active responses, emphasizing the need for an emergency manager to funnel accurate information. Thomas, who retired in March, had spent most of his career with the Texas Highway Patrol and less than two years with the American Red Cross before taking the Kerr County post in 2015. He had completed various state and federal training courses prior to the flood.
