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Kerr County working toward automated Guadalupe River flood warning system; timeline set for 2026 procurement
Summary
A development team led by Tom Moser outlined a multi‑phase plan to build a flood‑prediction and public‑warning system for the Guadalupe River basin, with draft requirements due this month and vendor solicitations planned for early 2026.
A development team organized by Kerr County delivered a detailed plan Oct. 14 to create an automated Guadalupe River flood‑warning system intended to give residents and emergency responders earlier, location‑specific notice of life‑threatening floods.
The working group, led by Tom Moser, said the project will combine rainfall and river gauges, terrain and hydraulic models and a “smart” communications hub that can send targeted warnings to sirens, signs and phones. “Establish and maintain a flood warning system with fully automated capability that provides adequate warning of an impending life‑threatening flood in sufficient time for people to reach safety,” Moser said during the court update.
The plan is being executed in phases: a near‑term development of requirements and system architecture, an RFP and vendor selection stage projected for January–March 2026, and later implementation and testing. Moser told the court he expects a draft of technical requirements by the end of October and said county staff will prepare the procurement documents once those requirements are finalized.
Why it matters: Commissioners and emergency officials said the system should reduce surprise flooding, free up first responders from having to “sit” low‑water crossings during events and provide a multi‑channel notice capability for camps, RV parks, bridges and neighborhoods along the river.
What the system will include: the prediction side will combine National Weather Service forecasts, Mesonet observations, rain gauges and USGS streamflow data; those inputs will run through hydraulic and watershed models to produce location‑specific flood forecasts. The communications side will be driven by a central “hub” that routes warnings to mass channels (CodeRED, cell alerts, mass media), local devices (sirens and flashing low‑water crossing signs) and facility‑level systems at parks and RV camps.
UGRA role: Tara Bushnell of the Upper Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA) said UGRA has contracted Kisters North America to consolidate multiple data feeds into one platform, recommend additional gauge locations, and identify where local hydraulic models are needed. UGRA will maintain data sources and continue to work with USGS and other partners to install and maintain gauges.
Redundancy and reliability: Commissioners pressed for redundancy in transmission — Moser and others emphasized that cellular alerts alone are not sufficient for county‑wide warning. Officials discussed satellite and point‑to‑point radio backups and a system health function so the hub can monitor readiness of sirens and signs.
Funding and next steps: The court heard that cost and funding sources are still to be determined; the team will support grant applications. Moser and UGRA asked the court to treat the development team as a short‑term near‑term effort, with UGRA and the broader working group continuing to refine long‑term operations and maintenance needs.
Commissioner reactions were uniformly positive, with several members praising UGRA’s prior work and urging the Legislature’s special committee on flooding to study the county’s approach.
Ending: The team returns this month with draft requirements and will request the court’s direction on procurement language once the technical scope is finalized.
