Despite repeated efforts by Kerr County officials to secure funding for flood warning sirens over the last ten years, their applications were denied—leaving the area vulnerable when recent floods hit. The New York Times' Christopher Flavelle digs into the bureaucratic and financial roadblocks that left this Texas community without a critical safety net.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just a story about paperwork—it’s about how red tape and funding gaps can have real, dangerous consequences. When communities can’t get the resources they need for basic warning systems, lives are literally on the line. It raises bigger questions about who gets protected and why, especially as climate change makes extreme weather more common.