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23h ago

Cruz and Cantwell Reintroduce NOAA Weather Radio Overhaul to Strengthen Flood Alerts

Pending Senate approval, the measure responds to Kerr County testimony about missed warnings during July floods.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with television personality Dr. Phil McGraw on the day of a roundtable discussion with first responders and local officials along with with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump after catastrophic floods, at the Hill Country Youth Center in Kerrville on July 11, 2025.
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Overview

  • The NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act, reintroduced July 31–August 1, would add transmitters and backup power to close coverage gaps and improve network reliability.
  • New provisions direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to create uniform flash-flood alert protocols for areas with a 1 percent annual flood risk.
  • Kerr County officials testified they received no extreme-weather alerts before the July 4 Guadalupe River floods that killed over 130 people.
  • All Senate Republicans, including Ted Cruz, voted in early July to rescind unobligated NOAA funds, fueling debate over federal forecasting and alert resources.
  • Rep. Randy Weber is demanding answers as NOAA works to repair a Galveston weather-radio transmitter offline since a March fire ahead of hurricane season.