Nearly Year Ago Official Warned of Flash Flooding

In August 2024 Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William "Dub" Thomas encouraged the public to attend a Disaster Expo.  The theme was "Be Prepared!"  Thomas reference major flooding as disaster risk.

KXAN reported:

Kerr County and the City of Kerrville had a plan to prepare for and respond to disasters like the deadly Independence Day floods that killed at least 108 people — including 37 children — one month ago. But a KXAN review of public records found that some key parts of the plan weren’t followed.

Response, Public Warning and Setting up the Incident Command are three areas where leaders failed to act in a timely manner during early morning July 4th.

The State of Texas took over disaster response and recovery.  That move delayed local accountability for twenty seven days.  During the Kerrville hearings the public learned top Kerr County leaders were all asleep as the flash flood worsened.  One was "sick-asleep", another "out of town-asleep" and the last "just asleep."  There has been no local accountability at Kerr County Commissioners Court.  That group has been hair trigger defensive in the meetings I've watched.

What's done is done, but I never expected the State of Texas to cover up blatant leadership failures that resulted in widespread loss of life, including 27 children at Camp Mystic.  Governor Abbott and his administration can talk accountability.  So far it looks like lip service.

"Ongoing ASOS Issues" at Mathis Field

The last flight from DFW to San Angelo circled above the city for 20 minutes before diverting to Midland.  The sky was clear and it was after midnight when roughly fifty passengers learned from the pilot that he could not land without knowing the wind information.  It is normally on the automated recording pilots access during approach.  Without that data the pilot is not allowed to land the plane.

I thought that odd.  Couldn't the airline send someone out to the tarmac with a wind meter?  It turns out everything is automated.

The e-mail from NOAA/National Weather Service indicates the tower at Mathis Field plays a backup role to ASOS.  For Flight 4956 on 8-4-25 no one was in the tower to do just that.

"Ongoing issues" implies that our flight was not a one time event.  For many of the fifty our event was miserable, even traumatic.  No AA representative greeted us.  Straight answers were few and far between on the AA 800 number.  Hotel vouchers showed "no local rooms available."  The few that got hotel rooms paid big, $250 for ten hours at the Fairfield Inn.  Most of us spent the night in the airport, although an enterprising few Ubered their way home.

I hope other late flights into San Angelo don't get with a few thousand feet of landing before being jerked away to another airport in our region.  The Midland Spaceport is not a comfortable place to rest as there is no space for that very purpose.

Update 8-11-25:  I submitted a public information request for "information on other flights impacted by ongoing ASOS (automated surface observing systems) issues after the tower 'is not available' starting 1-1-25."  The city responded that "there are no responsive documents to your request" despite my requesting the city ask any associated vendors to provide that information in accordance with standard City of San Angelo contract language.

Update 8-12-25:  I asked NOAA/NWS for information on ASOS issues at SJT after the tower is closed.  They put me on their standard review, no expediting with full fees.  It could be months before I hear anything.