Emergency response experts ABC13 spoke to say sirens are not useful in large cities like Houston, where technology and extensive media coverage are available. But for smaller communities devastated in Kerr County, experts say sirens can indeed make a difference.
In 2016, then Kerr County Commissioner Tom Moser tried to install an emergency siren system. He was motivated, he says, by the devastating floods in Wimberley, TX, in 2015.
"I visited Wimberley," Moser said today in an interview, and he returned to Kerr County with the intent of getting a siren system in place.
Almost immediately, Moser says, his push for audible sirens was met with resistance.
"One of the things that came out of the meeting is that people did not want sirens throughout the Hill Country," Moser recalled. "Even though they were noting it was harder to communicate with people, that was a non-starter, so we took that out of anything having to do with sirens."
Instead, Moser said he and other commissioners tried to get a flood gauge system passed. However, when they attempted to secure state funding for the more modest project, they were rebuffed.
"We applied for a grant for a million dollars to implement what we wanted to do, applied for a couple of years, and we never received approval on those requests," Moser recalled.
As warning systems for flood waters lingered in Kerr County, closer to Houston, several area communities facing other potential emergencies installed sirens.
In 2023, the small city of Galena Park installed city-wide sirens and showed them off to ABC13. At the time, officials said the focus was to warn residents of emergencies from the numerous petrochemical plants nearby, and they were not alone. Pasadena, Deer Park, and La Porte all have warning sirens. All those communities focus on petrochemical accidents.
However, Moser says they clearly work. As a retired NASA engineer who has managed many large-scale projects, he is hopeful that there will be movement for change.
"This is a tragic incident, event. I hope that this will be a catalyst. I think the funding will be there," he said.
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