After a devastating flood in Texas claimed lives, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called out the National Weather Service’s outdated alert systems, labeling them "ancient." The Trump administration is now pushing to modernize the technology to improve early warnings—a move critics argue should’ve happened sooner, given years of underfunding and neglect.

Editor’s Note: Floods don’t wait for bureaucracy, and neither should warnings. This story highlights a grim reality: outdated systems can cost lives. While the promised upgrades are a step forward, the fact that it took a tragedy to spur action raises bigger questions about how we prioritize infrastructure—especially when climate change is making extreme weather more frequent.