Texas rep defends vote against emergency alert bill amid floods

(NewsNation) — A Texas authorities typical defended his vote against a $500 cardinal exigency alert bill, saying it lacked transparency and would not person funded existent informing systems that could person helped prevent flood deaths.

Republican State Rep. Wes Virdell told NewsNation that helium opposed the authorities due to the fact that "it creates a assembly that has nary transparency" and was "actually exempt from transparency." The measure would person established outdoor informing sirens and exigency alert systems.

"It didn't really person wealth for backing of the exigency informing systems. It was conscionable the wealth for creating the committee is each it was," Virdell said during the interrogation from flood-ravaged Kerr County, which helium represents.

The floods struck aboriginal Friday morning, killing dozens of people including children astatine summertime camps on the Guadalupe River. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood informing much than 3 hours earlier the disaster, but campers and residents on the stream were unaware of the danger.

Virdell said informing sirens would person constricted effectiveness successful the distant area, noting helium tin lone perceive a siren 200 yards from his location erstwhile he's outside. He said the existent occupation is mediocre cellphone work successful the region.

"What we truly request is much compartment work successful that area," Virdell said, confirming determination is nary compartment work adjacent the affected camps.