Commerce Department Hides Key Records on Deadly Texas Floods

How can we prevent a repeat tragedy if the Trump Administration dodges accountability?

Washington, D.C.-Since May, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) has sought information about the impact on the safety of American families from intensified weather events following President Trump's slashing of the federal workforce and hiring freezes at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS). The first impact appears to have been felt with regard to a catastrophic Texas flood over the July 4 weekend that took more than 130 lives.

Shortly after the Texas disaster, Rep. Doggett spoke with the Director of the NWS. At that time, the Congressman requested all NWS Chat, call, and shift logs, radar archives, and any other relevant communications from the NWS Austin/San Antonio forecasting office before, during, and after the floods. The Director indicated all this information was "easy" to produce. Ten weeks since the floods, and after repeated calls, the Commerce Department continues to refuse to provide the materials that would allow effective congressional oversight and an objective evaluation of any issues exacerbated by the Trump Administration's reduction in NWS capacity. Instead, the Commerce Department offered only a nonresponsive message, without providing the requested logs and relevant records from July 2 - 5.

In response to this nonresponse, Rep. Doggett writes, "[y]ou provided your own conclusions, without evidence, demonstrating whether or not critical understaffing impacted operations. You state that the weather forecasting offices 'were able to successfully provide decision support services to local partners, including those in the emergency management community.' Outreach can hardly be called successful if the intended recipient, like the Kerr County emergency manager, was not reached. I have reason to question this claim unless it is backed by NWS Chat and call logs that show successful attempts at contacting emergency managers and other local leaders, including camp directors."

Rep. Doggett's full letter can be read here. All previous letters to the Commerce Department, NOAA, and NWS can be read here.

The Commerce Department's September 15 response to Rep. Doggett can be read here.