Weather

Experts say outlandish claims of weather manipulation are hindering disaster preparedness and emergency response.

The Texas Legislature's special session begins on Monday and earlier this week, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced members of the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding. Our Bishop Van Buren reports that Lubbock senator Charles Perry was appointed as chairman. Meanwhile, search and recovery efforts continue in Kerr County as crews work around flood watches and ongoing rain, which has caused Nimitz Lake on the Guadalupe River to overtop the dam.

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.

Climate change is increasing the risk of dangerous floods. But people often balk at the cost of flood insurance, especially since many doubt they need protection.

After tornadoes on the South Plains and deadly floods in the Hill Country, severe weather has defined much of this Texas summer. KTTZ reporter Bishop Van Buren spoke with a city official about what it looks like to be properly prepared for an emergency.

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.

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.

Centro San Antonio will host a vigil in Travis Park on Monday at 8:30 p.m. to mourn and honor the dozens of children and adults who died in Friday's floods.

NPR has compiled a timeline of when local, state and federal officials posted warnings on social media as well as the timeline of events as presented by local officials.

The Fourth of July in Lubbock will look different this year, with new organizers of the 4th on Broadway parade and a last-minute change in location after recent spurts of heavy rainfall. Police are reminding residents that fireworks are still banned within city limits, and public health officials are warning of increased mosquito activity.