Flooding

For many families across the state, Thanksgiving this year is complicated — because of the destructive flooding on the Fourth of July that left at least 138 people dead. They’re grappling with unanswered questions and loss.

David Richardson, who had no background in emergency management when he was appointed in May, served just six months in the job.

No new taxes would be collected for the package that would give the state’s water department $1 billion to spend on projects like cleaning salty water, flood control and reservoirs.

Lawmakers say the committee will examine the state's preparation and response, along with the circumstances surrounding the disaster. The historic flooding led to more than 130 deaths.

Lubbock’s city council heard a presentation this week analyzing zoning across the city. Our reporter Samantha Larned has more on a 2026 project to address some of the inconsistencies between property zoning and land use. Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp devastated by July 4th flooding by the Guadalupe River, plans to partially re-open next year. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro reports that will come with new regulations and training required by the state.

If this summer's special sessions were a midterm exam on disaster preparation, Texas lawmakers would probably get an A. But their final grade will depend on how changes are actually implemented — and how quickly that happens.

House Bill 35 goes into effect on Sept. 1, creating a new program that aims to connect firefighters and EMS workers across Texas with peer-to-peer mental health support.

It's been nearly two months since floodwaters tore through the Texas Hill Country, leaving more than 130 people dead.

The Texas House passed several bills related to floods and other natural disasters yesterday. They include disaster funding, emergency plans, and improved communication for first responders. Here in Lubbock, readers and comic fans have a busy weekend ahead. Our reporter Samantha Larned has more on the Lubbock Book Festival and Hub City Comic Con.

The footprints were created some 115 million years ago, when what is now a Central Texas suburb was a beach on the Western Interior Seaway.