Three weeks after devastating flash floods swept through Texas’ Hill Country, killing more than 100 people, state lawmakers voiced strong criticism toward Kerr County officials. The lawmakers expressed frustration that the county had declined state funding a year earlier to build a flood warning system. Such a system could have alerted residents about rapidly rising waters, potentially saving lives.
During a legislative investigation, a Kerr County representative from the local river authority explained why the offer was turned down. Many lawmakers found the reasoning unacceptable. One senator called the decision “pathetic," while another labeled it “disturbing.” State Rep. Drew Darby, a Republican from San Angelo, suggested the local authority lacked the determination to finance the project.
Kerr County was far from the only community to reject state funding. Research by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune revealed that at least 90 local governments declined tens of millions of dollars in flood prevention grants and loans since the program began five years ago. Many local leaders told reporters the grant money covered only a small fraction of total project costs, making it impossible to proceed. While the state offered interest-free loans to cover remaining expenses, some officials feared they might not repay the loans and face penalties.
For instance, Kerr County was offered a $50,000 grant for a $1 million flood warning system — only about 5% of the needed funds. The river authority could borrow the rest, repaying it over 30 years, but they worried about the financial burden. Similarly, the city of Robinson, between Dallas and Austin, requested $2.4 million to buy and demolish homes in a flood-prone area. The state offered just $236,000 and required an engineering study that would have consumed over half the grant. Robinson officials found the conditions prohibitive.
The city of Kilgore in East Texas faced similar challenges. It needed $575,000 for a drainage study but was offered a grant covering only 13% of the cost. The state required a second application process that strained the city’s limited resources. Public Works Director Clay Evers ultimately decided to drop out, frustrated by the low ranking and limited funding. Years later, Evers watched lawmakers harshly criticize Kerr County’s refusal of funds, recognizing he faced the same tough choices.
Texas lawmakers who created the Flood Infrastructure Fund defended the program, which began in 2019 as a response to Hurricane Harvey’s destruction. They stressed that local communities also need to invest in flood prevention. However, many smaller or rural communities struggled with limited tax revenue and state restrictions on raising new taxes, making it hard to cover project costs beyond the grants.
A few lawmakers acknowledged the system has flaws. State Rep. Joe Moody from El Paso admitted the current funding approach isn’t enough for communities’ needs and called for a review of the program in the 2027 legislative session. Darby agreed, highlighting the frustration of having funds available but sitting unused because local governments can’t meet the funding requirements.
The Texas Water Development Board, responsible for distributing the grants, awarded $670 million to 140 projects. It prioritized communities with lower median incomes, which meant places like Kerr County, with higher incomes, received less money. The board said it aimed to spread money across many projects but recognized that some offers were too small to complete the work.
Tom Entsminger, who helped create the fund before leaving the agency, said early funding decisions were made without knowing all project costs or applications, leading to grant amounts that weren’t always logical. Despite difficulties, Entsminger considers the fund overall successful, though about $100 million in grants remained unused for years.
Meanwhile, communities like Kilgore faced worsening infrastructure problems. Without updated drainage maps, the city’s pipes have been collapsing, causing sinkholes and flooding across neighborhoods and roads. After forgoing state funding, Kilgore recently secured a $300,000 federal grant to begin addressing the issue, but the funds won’t cover the full project.
Kerr County has been slower to make progress. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority, which declined the state grant, is funding parts of a flood warning system from its own budget, but a full system won’t be ready for years. After the deadly floods, state leaders promised more money for flood sirens. Legislation passed this summer allocates $50 million to some Texas counties for such warning systems, but Kerr County must apply again and isn’t guaranteed funding.
This situation leaves many communities caught between the urgent need for flood protection and limited financial means. Lawmakers and local officials face the ongoing challenge of ensuring future disasters don’t have the same tragic toll.