This Was Not Just a Natural Disaster — It Was a Human Failure

“A flood may be natural, but the disaster is political. Until we fund protection instead of offering condolences, lives will continue to be lost — not to storms, but to silence.” - Mary Coughlin

A trauma-informed reckoning for Texas, for leadership, and for the future

Once again, we are grieving.
More than 110 lives have been lost in Texas.
Around 160 people are still missing.
Entire families shattered. Entire towns submerged.
And once again — we are told this is a natural disaster.

But let’s be honest:
The weather may have been natural. The trauma was political.

What Happened in Texas

Between July 4 and 7, 2025, a stalled storm system dropped more than 20 inches of rain in under six hours across the Texas Hill Country.
The Guadalupe River surged more than 20 feet in just 95 minutes, sweeping away homes, cars, bridges — and lives.

It was fast.
It was devastating.
And it was preventable.

What Truly Failed the People (And continues to Fail the People)

To be clear, this wasn’t a single failure.
It was a chain of decisions — administrative and legislative — that systematically weakened the very systems designed to protect us.

This catastrophe wasn’t just about rainfall. It was the result of policy decisions, systemic neglect, and deliberate disinvestment.

1. Defunded Local Warning Systems

In Kerr County, a flood warning system — including water gauges and sirens — was proposed after a 2017 event.
But the $9–10 million project was never funded.
Officials failed to secure FEMA support, and the plan was shelved.

The technology to save lives existed.
It just wasn’t funded.

2. Climate Denial Meets Climate Reality

This is climate change in real time.
The warmer the atmosphere, the more moisture it holds — making storms like this more likely and more intense.
(The Verge)

And yet, many Texas leaders continue to deny or downplay climate science — while their constituents drown.

3. Neglected Infrastructure and Overdevelopment

Unchecked development. Concrete-heavy city planning. Aging drainage systems.
Urban sprawl in flood-prone areas with no corresponding investment in infrastructure.
We know what causes this. We’ve known for decades.
(Wikipedia overview of the 2025 Texas Floods)

4. DOGE cuts.

In early 2025, the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed NOAA and National Weather Service staffing by up to 20%.
Hundreds of forecasting roles, grants, and contracts were terminated — including many focused on climate research and emergency coordination.
(AP News)

5. Cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) and NOAA

Congress’s One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, eliminates $150 million for NOAA forecasting and $50 million in climate resilience grants, with strong backing from Senator Ted Cruz and other Republican lawmakers.
(The Guardian)

Together, these actions not only created but sustain this perfect storm:
Fewer experts. Fewer tools. Less preparedness. More harm.

On Blame, Leadership, and Truth-Telling

Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently stated: “Blame is for losers.”

But let’s be crystal clear:

This isn’t about blame.
It’s about accountability.

Blame deflects.
Accountability demands responsibility.

Blame isolates.
Accountability connects the dots between cause and consequence.

We don’t name these failures to shame.
We name them to stop the cycle.

We name them to protect the next child, the next family, the next town that might otherwise be swallowed by silence and neglect.

A Trauma-Informed Call to Action

If you're heartbroken, don’t turn away.
If you're angry, don’t numb out.
Let this be your call to remember — and to respond.

Here's how we break the cycle:

✔️ Donate to mutual aid efforts & disaster relief organizations in Texas
✔️ Call your representatives — demand full funding for NOAA, NWS, and local emergency infrastructure
✔️ Organize and educate — share the truth in your communities and online
✔️ Vote out leaders who deny climate science and defund safety systems
✔️ Support policy that invests in resilience, equity, and public care
✔️ Refuse silence — speak, write, disrupt, demand

Let This Be the Reckoning

Let this not be another moment of mourning that fades into forgetfulness.
Let it be a rupture.
Let it be a reckoning.
Let it be a revolution of care.

We don’t just need cleanup crews.
We need truth-tellers.
We need courageous citizens.
We need accountability that prevents harm — not just reacts to it.

And we are the ones we've been waiting for.

In truth and accountability,
Mary