What happened in Texas a few days ago is a total tragedy in the realest sense of the term. So far, at least 100 people have died, and more than a hundred remain missing. Perhaps the saddest part of this unfolding saga is what happened at Camp Mystic, a summer oasis for children located on the banks of the picturesque Guadalupe River.
“At one point in the early hours of Friday, state officials reported the Guadalupe River had risen 26 feet in just 45 minutes,” said the Austin American-Statesman.
Friday morning also happened to be a federal holiday: Independence Day, which might have affected the warning, although it is still too early to know.
“The Guadalupe River and its surrounding areas in Texas Hill Country have historically been prone to flash flooding, earning the nickname ‘Flash Flood Alley,’” the Statesman notes. “Flash flood alley, which is characterized by its steep terrain, high rainfall and shallow soil, passes through Dallas, Waco, Austin and San Antonio. These traits contribute to floods that are extremely dangerous…. Its location, weather patterns and geology often combine to create devastating floods.”
Unfortunately, this part of Texas is predisposed to large and devastating flooding events.
In 1987, it experienced a “flash flood that killed 10 after raging through a Hill Country summer camp.”
As ABC News reports, “‘Flash Flood Alley’ has a long and tragic history of major flooding events along the Guadalupe River and other nearby rivers. The river has flooded nearly once every decade over the past 100 years.”
In 1932, the Guadalupe River crested at more than 39 feet in Kerrville. It also overflowed in 1921, causing extensive damage.
The point is that the most recent flooding in this strip of land in Texas is not an isolated event. Nor can it be attributed to so-called climate change. And those exploiting this calamity for political purposes ought to be ashamed of themselves.
As someone who regularly watches cable TV news and scans internet news sites, I was not surprised when I started seeing climate alarmists blame the flood on climate change merely hours after the initial reports came out.
Here are a few examples:
ABC News: “Extreme weather events like Texas rain are more likely to occur due to climate change, scientists warn.”
NBC: “How climate change influenced the Texas flooding.”
The New York Times: “In Texas, Another Tragic Warning on Climate Change.”
NPR: “Floods are getting more dangerous around the country, not just in Texas.”
Despite those sensational headlines, the data and evidence tell a very different story.
In fact, “The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports it has ‘low confidence’ climate change is impacting flooding.”
Moreover, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “has documented a significant reduction in the costs associated with flooding in the United States over the past century.”
NOAA also wrote in its 2018 National Climate Assessment that, “Human-induced warming has not been formally identified as a factor in increased riverine flooding and the timing of any emergence of a future detectable human caused change is unclear.”
The same storyline exists regarding tornadoes, hurricanes, drought, cold spells, heat waves, etc.
The mainstream media, in cahoots with climate activists and slimy politicians, proclaim that all extreme weather events must be caused by climate change. Meanwhile, the data and evidence say otherwise.
Next, we have the lowest of the low, the true bottom-feeders.
By this, I am referring to the vile people who are peddling the outright lie that DOGE cuts at the National Weather Service played a role in perpetuating the catastrophe in Texas.
Consider:
Newsweek: “DOGE Cuts Contributed to Texas Flood Impact—Former NOAA Administrator.”
MSNBC: “Rachel Maddow Breaks Down ‘Real Consequences’ Trump’s DOGE Cuts Had on Texas Flood Disaster.”
This is disgusting.
According to Alan Gerard, a former director of the Analysis and Understanding Branch in the National Severe Storms Laboratory at NOAA, “There is little evidence that any of the recent cuts to NOAA/NWS negatively impacted services for this event, regardless of what may be being said on social media.”
“The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,” Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, told NBC News.
On a more positive note, I must say that those exploiting this terrible event are in the extreme minority. On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve seen an outpouring of support for the people impacted by this tragedy from throughout the nation. We’ve seen people risk their own lives to rescue others. We’ve seen heroic first responders do everything they can to find survivors. We’ve seen volunteers help in any way possible. We’ve seen huge amounts of money donated to charities and relief organizations.
In this tragedy, we’ve witnessed that America is indeed great.
Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
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