{"id":2469565,"date":"2025-08-01T10:03:01","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T14:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cruz-unveils-radio-bill-for-emergency-weather-after-texas-flash-floods\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T10:04:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T14:04:19","slug":"cruz-unveils-radio-bill-for-emergency-weather-after-texas-flash-floods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cruz-unveils-radio-bill-for-emergency-weather-after-texas-flash-floods\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruz unveils radio bill for emergency weather after Texas flash floods"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcruz-unveils-radio-bill-for-emergency-weather-after-texas-flash-floods%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2469565&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has introduced the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act in response to deadly flash floods in Texas that resulted in over 130 deaths, including 27 campers and counselors from a summer camp. The legislation aims to upgrade and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >expand emergency weather dialog systems<\/a>, particularly focusing on improving the National Weather Radio network to ensure more reliable alerts in rural areas during power outages.The bill also calls for developing standards for flash flood emergency alerts in vulnerable floodplain areas. The move follows testimony from Kerr County officials who said they did not receive adequate warnings before the floods. Cruz emphasized the importance of learning from this tragedy to enhance disaster preparedness and possibly save lives during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-set-three-records-for-power-demand-and-supply-during-winter-storm\/\" title=\"... broke three records for power demand and supply during the winter storm\">future extreme weather events<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Cruz unveils radio bill expanding emergency weather communications after deadly Texas flash floods<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2169293\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ted-cruz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Ted Cruz<\/a> (R-TX) on Thursday introduced legislation seeking to modernize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/weather\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">weather<\/a> radio systems after deadly Texas flashfloods recently raised alarms that emergency communications had failed to prevent the loss of life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The floods along the Guadalupe River in central Texas occurred over the July 4 holiday weekend, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3476626\/number-of-missing-texas-floods-drops-sharply\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">leading to the deaths <\/a>of over 130 people, the majority of them in Kerr County, where 27 campers and counselors from a local all-girl summer camp lost their lives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3488106\/economy-jobs-july-report-figures\/\">Economy added just 73,000 jobs in July: The key facts and figures<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3488445\/senate-panel-advances-852-billion-defense-bill\/\">Senate panel advances $852 billion defense bill, including $800 million for Ukraine, on strong bipartisan vote<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3483788\/paul-whelan-first-year-home-americans-more-support\/\">Paul Whelan wants to help improve care given to returning wrongfully detained Americans<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Cruz, along with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), introduced the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act as concerns grow that the state lacks the necessary communications infrastructure to alert residents to impending danger.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruz.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/sens-cruz-cantwell-introduce-bill-to-modernize-weather-radio-emergency-alerts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">bill<\/a> targets radio communications because radio is one of the few reliable options available for widespread use in rural areas during power outages, which can disrupt cell and internet communications, Cruz said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The legislation would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to upgrade the National Weather Radio network, expanding research and alternative options to transmit NOAA Weather Radio signals to radio transmitters that are remote or do not have access to the internet. It would also direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standards for flash flood emergency alert systems within the 100-year floodplain.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The legislation comes after several Kerr County officials testified during a Texas state hearing on Thursday that they did not receive sufficient warning and emergency alerts about the flash flooding.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>William &ldquo;Dub&rdquo; Thomas, the Kerr County emergency management director, testified that he briefly woke up about 2 p.m. on July 3. Still, there was no rainfall at the time and no indication of the pending change in the river. He wasn&rsquo;t alerted to the disaster until he was woken by his wife at 5:30 a.m. July 4 with a call from Kerrville Emergency Management Coordinator Jeremy Hughes.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who is the county&rsquo;s top elected official and presides over emergency management, added that &ldquo;We received no alerts suggesting an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-doubling-spending-to-prepare-for-hurricanes-storms\/\" title=\"Biden Doubling Spending to Prepare for Hurricanes, Storms\">extreme weather event<\/a> was imminent [referring to July 3].&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For context, we received hundreds of alerts during the summer. This past July, we had over 80. My first indication that this storm was different came when I woke up to texts and calls from Chief Kidd, Sheriff Leitha and Dalton Rice,&rdquo; Kelly told lawmakers during the Texas House and Senate Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding hearing. &ldquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We now know that by that time, the flooding had already overtaken Camp Mystic, part of the hills in La Junta and several other upriver camps, something I could never have imagined. This extreme weather event was not forecast by the National Weather Service in a timely manner. Based on the volume and tone of the messages, I recognize that something more serious and potentially tragic was unfolding,&rdquo; Kelly continued.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, from left, speaks with Kerrville, Texas City Manager Dalton Rice and Phil McGraw before President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a roundtable discussion with first responders and local officials at Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville, during a tour to observe flood damage, Friday, July 11, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3469881\/melania-trump-memorializes-camp-mystic-girls-texas-charm-bracelet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MELANIA TRUMP MEMORIALIZES CAMP MYSTIC GIRLS WHO DIED IN TEXAS FLOODS WITH CHARM BRACELET<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cruz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/2025\/7\/sen-cruz-this-committee-is-confirming-people-we-trust-to-keep-our-country-safe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said <\/a>during a Senate Commerce Committee nominations hearing following the disaster that &ldquo;asking ourselves what could have been done differently [is] a question that we need to ask.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We know we&rsquo;re going to have other disasters going forward. There will be more floods. There will be more hurricanes. There will be more tornadoes. But every step we can take to remove someone from the path of that devastation is a step we need to take,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And so, there are discussions about all sorts of steps we can take, including setting up sirens and warning systems along the Guadalupe River Valley, which I think makes an awful lot of sense, but we ought to be asking what lessons can be learned, and what can be done more effectively to protect human life.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2169293\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2169293\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cruz proposes bill to improve emergency weather radio systems<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2469566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cruz-july-scaled-1024x682.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4105,60413,60412],"class_list":["post-2469565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cruz","tag-emergency-weather","tag-radio-bill"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cruz-july-scaled-1024x682.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2469565"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2469569,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469565\/revisions\/2469569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2469566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2469565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2469565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2469565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}