Texas Floods: How Did We Get Here?
- John Martello
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 21
Written by: John Martello
From July 4-7, 2025, Central Texas experienced catastrophic flash floods that have since left 132 people dead and over 100 people missing. As searches continue for the missing, many have wondered how the flood could have caused so much destruction. Texas, one of the most prone states to natural disasters in the United States, seemingly has continued to recover from disasters time and time again. In a state that received an average of $1.4 billion from FEMA and HUD from 2015 to 2024, what is the missing link?
Asking that question brings increasingly partisan issues to the forefront: climate change and administrative capabilities. Climate change, according to the United Nations, is the shift in temperature and weather patterns. Climate change is generally caused by the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. With the increase in global temperature, weather events become more common and intense.
How does climate change fit within the confines of the Texas floods? It has been generally asserted by academia and government organizations (see this summary from the Texas Tribune) that climate change increases the severity of extreme weather events. In Central Texas, the Guadalupe rose to over 30 feet. Across the United States and much of the broader world, we have seen these disasters occur more frequently than ever.
Despite this scientific backing, the largely Republican-led Texas continues to dismiss climate change and funding for preparation as the climate warms. According to the MIT Climate Portal, the Texas Legislature has killed bills advocating in favor of preparing for climate change since 2009. This time, it makes many wonder if native Texans will begin to press their representatives to guide efforts to support climate change.
Administratively, President Trump revealed plans as recently as June to begin a process of decreasing the size and scope of FEMA, backed by his Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Likewise, in recent reports, Secretary Kristi Noem has come under attack for her response and management of FEMA during this time. In documents recovered from the New York Times, it was revealed that FEMA did not accurately respond to calls in response to the flood, given the issue of Noem signing call center contracts late.
Partisanship aside, it is time to come together to consider the impacts of climate change as it hits those all over the world. Could the damage in Texas have been prevented? While unlikely, some efforts could be made at the local, state, national, and global levels that not only acknowledge the role of climate change but also take a direct step towards proactive policies, not reactive ones. In a hardline state like Texas and with a staunch President Trump, efforts towards climate change may remain in peril. Collectively, all of us play a part in this complex issue. Climate change awareness continues in all parts of the world, and rightfully so.
While searches in Texas continue, we honor all of those who have lost a loved one at the hands of climate change and those first responders who helped restore peace and order in the affected regions.
Works Cited
Angueria, Gabriela. “Trump’s Plan to Begin ‘Phasing Out’ FEMA After Hurricane Season Burdens States, Experts Warn.” Associated Press. June 11, 2025.
Choi, Annette, Gainor, Danya, and Carroll, Kate. “Tracking Trump’s Overhaul of the Federal Workforce.” CNN. July 15, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/politics/tracking-federal-workforce-firings-dg.
Climate Central. “Understanding the Climate Connection with the Devastating Texas Floods.” July 7, 2025. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert/texas-us-floods.
Climate Portal. “Texas Political Leaders are Indifferent, if not Hostile, to Climate Change Mitigation.” Climate Portal MIT. April 22, 2025.
Martin, Arcelia. “Climate Change Helped Fuel Heavy Rains that Caused Hill Country Floods, Experts Say.” The Texas Tribune. July 9, 2025. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/texas-hill-country-floods-kerrville-climate-change/?utm_campaign=trib-social-buttons&utm_source=copy&utm_medium=social.
Our World in Data. “Global Reported Natural Disasters by Type, 1970 to 2024.” Our World in Data. Accessed July 17, 2025. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/natural-disasters-by-type.
Palmer, Kathryn. “Noem Defends Policies Amid Reports FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Flood Survivor Calls.” USA Today. July 13, 2025.
Pilkington, Ed. “The Texas Way: Why the Most Disaster-Prone US State is so Allergic to Preparing for Disasters.” The Guardian. July 13, 2025.
Shalvey, Kevin. “Texas Flooding Live Updates.” ABC News. July 14, 2025.
Tsiaperas, Tasha, and Patel, Shafaq. “Mapped: FEMA funding in Texas.” AXIOS. March 24, 2025. https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/03/24/mapped-fema-funding-in-texas.
United Nations. “What Is Climate Change?” Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change.
World Meteorological Organization. “WMO Confirms 2024 as Warmest Year on Record at About 1.55°C Above Pre-Industrial Level.” January 10, 2025. https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/wmo-confirms-2024-warmest-year-record-about-155degc-above-pre-industrial-level.
Wild, Sarah. “Why Were the Texas Flash Floods so Catastrophic?” Live Science. July 8, 2025.
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