HOUSTON – “Is there any way we can send a CodeRED to our Hunt residents asking them to find higher ground or stay home?”
This was a question asked by a first responder at 4:22 A.M. last Friday after he witnessed water overwhelming the banks of the Guadalupe River.
EXPLAINER: Understanding CodeRED emergency notifications in Central Texas
The call was obtained by KPRC’s sister station, KSAT in San Antonio.
The request for a CodeRED was met with a dispatcher informing the first responder, “10-4 standby, we have to get that approved with our supervisor. Please be advised, we do have the Texas Water Rescue en route.”
The alert is part of a mass notification system to alert residents to flooding. However, in the aftermath of the tragedy, officials and residents have confirmed there was a delay with some not receiving word for hours.
As a result of the responder’s call coming to light, there are specific questions now being asked of the county sheriff as to why something wasn’t done sooner.
“Those questions are going to be answered,” said Sheriff Larry Leitha. “I believe those questions need to be answered to the family of the missed loved ones, to the public, you know, to the people that put me in this office, and I want that answer and we’re going to get that answer.”
However, those answers appear not to be happening anytime soon, as during a news conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Larry Leitha says his immediate focus is on the recovery of those still missing, with any questions about how operations were conducted during this deadly tragedy to be answered down the road in an after-action report.
“We’re not running, we’re not going to hide from anything, that is going to be checked into at a later time,” said Leitha. “I wish I can tell you that time, I don’t know that time.”
