Nearly two months following the devastating July 4 flood in Texas, which claimed over 130 lives, D-Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett continues to seek clarity on fundamental issues related to the federal response.
What emergency personnel were deployed by the National Weather Service on the night of the flood? How effectively did the agency prepare for the storm? And how did vacancies in critical local National Weather Service positions, like warning adjustment meteorologists, impact the situation?
In four letters sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with a fifth from the Commerce Department, Rep. Doggett requested records that could shed light on the events of July 4th.
“I have yet to receive any written response,” Doggett expressed, accusing the agency of evasion.
This push for transparency highlights the lack of public accountability regarding that day’s events. Shortly after the flood, an internal meteorologist indicated that the National Weather Service provided a timely warning, citing the constraints of their forecasting technology during flash flooding.
However, it remains unclear how effectively the agency communicated with emergency managers and other ground stakeholders when risks became evident. A former NWS meteorologist commented on the difficulties faced when their forecasts are compromised by staff shortages or overwhelming workloads.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images File
“If there’s nothing to conceal, and if Trump’s budget cuts haven’t impacted weather services, then they need to create logs,” Doggett remarked regarding the records he seeks. “Drawing public attention to this issue may be the only way to prompt a response from the administration.”
Neither NOAA nor the Commerce Department has responded to requests for comment.
Doggett wrote his initial letter to NOAA on May 20, prior to the flood, raising concerns about staffing levels in the Austin/San Antonio weather office. This office is responsible for forecasts and communications in areas that faced significant impacts from the July storm.
“The 22% vacancy rate in the local NWS jeopardizes the timeliness of forecasts and alerts that communities depend on,” Doggett stated, inquiring about how the agency would address staff shortages and fulfill their operational roles.
Following the flood disaster, Doggett subsequently contacted NOAA on July 8 with 15 more questions about their responses. He reported having a video conference with agency director Ken Graham on July 11.
In a letter sent after their July 11 meeting and a follow-up on July 24, Doggett requested call logs, chat logs, radar archives, and shift logs from the agency.
“He mentioned that providing these was straightforward,” Doggett noted, recalling Graham’s remarks during the Zoom call. “I’ve been following up since then, but there’s been no satisfactory explanation.”
The agency is permitted to respond at its discretion to queries from Congress members overseeing it. Interpretation of the Department of Justice Law. Nonetheless, agencies often voluntarily address congressional inquiries.
Doggett has persistently contacted NOAA via phone and text, and in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Luttonick on August 27, he accused the Secretary of suppressing responses that he believes NOAA was ready to provide.
“I recommend that responses to my inquiries be prepared, but these have been withheld by your office,” Doggett wrote. “There’s no documentation demonstrating NWS’s preparation, communication, or response—perhaps indicating that some aspects of this tragedy are being concealed.”
Doggett mentioned that four children from Austin lost their lives in the floods and has called for an investigation similar to those conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board after significant disasters.
“If 27 children perish in a plane crash, the NTSB conducts a thorough investigation of all involved parties at state, federal, and local levels,” Doggett remarked.
NBC News has submitted multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to NOAA seeking records from NWS. Some of these requests might yield records that address Doggett’s inquiries, but thus far, there has been no response.
According to the Commerce Department’s Public Records website, one of the requested chat logs and communications between forecasters is currently “assigned for processing.” The agency indicated that information regarding staff cuts and recruitment will be managed in batches alongside other similar requests related to the Texas flood.
“We aim to provide a provisional release by early September, with additional releases occurring periodically through the end of the year,” wrote Julia Swanson, FOIA Coordinator, in an August 18 status update. “To effectively allocate limited staff resources, all other FOIA requests are temporarily set aside to prioritize addressing flood-related inquiries in Texas.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
