Overview
- Private River Sentry towers and recently installed state sirens sounded to warn campers and residents during the flash flood that struck early Thursday, July 16, prompting immediate evacuations and alerting Kerr County dispatch.
- Six River Sentry RS-1A towers autonomously activated after sensors detected rising water near Ingram, with three towers damaged by fast-moving currents and later recovered or returned to service.
- State-funded sirens installed in Kerr County also sounded during the event, though officials including Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged one siren had a brief delayed activation before it later functioned.
- River Sentry units are stand-alone towers with water sensors, 135-decibel speakers, directional lights, battery and solar backup, and LoRaWAN linking designed to warn sleeping campers even if power or cell service fails.
- Texas has committed $50 million for expanded warning systems, 29 counties have approved funding, and vendors plan a wireless upstream-to-downstream triggering feature pending FCC approval to give communities earlier notice.