Public Safety

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.

The first State Flood Plan, published last year, identified $54 billion in flood mitigation, warning and data needs. The state has awarded around $660 million since the plan was published, with a special legislative session coming.

For years, employees say, they've had to do more with less. But the ability to fill in the gaps became strained to the breaking point when the Trump administration began pushing new staffing cuts.

Severe weather has gripped Texas this year — from tornadoes tearing through the South Plains to wildfires in the Panhandle and, most recently, deadly floods in the Hill Country. In Lubbock, where the city’s outdoor siren system was activated for the first time earlier this summer, emergency officials emphasize that layered alerts and personal preparedness remain essential to staying safe.

Lubbock Representative and House Speaker Dustin Burrows says lawmakers are already talking about emergency response ahead of the special session later this month. A bill to offer grants for emergency communications failed to pass during the regular session. To honor those who have died in the central Texas floods, Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered flags at state offices to be lowered to half-staff.

A GOP state lawmaker who represents Kerr County says he likely would vote differently now on House Bill 13, which would have established a grant program for counties to build new emergency communication infrastructure.

Lubbock’s outdoor warning system was put to the test for the first time as severe storms and tornado threats swept through the area Thursday night. The city’s Office of Emergency Management director recapped the cross-departmental response and gave recommendations for staying safe during future severe weather events.

Texas Tech’s softball team fell to the University of Texas in the Women’s College World Series final on Friday. Reporter Bishop Van Buren recaps the end of a historic Red Raiders run. Meanwhile, fans back in Lubbock took shelter from Thursday night’s storms and tornado threats.

Despite a drop in shootings nationwide, Texas saw more incidents than any other state last year.

From hurricane season to ice storms, the way the state gets its alerts might change after scientists at NOAA and the National Weather Service were fired.