Texas floods kill over 50, raising questions on NWS warning effectiveness and staffing.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued warnings ahead of severe flooding in Texas, which killed over 50 people. Despite issuing "life-threatening" alerts, questions arose about the effectiveness of these warnings and whether key staff vacancies at the NWS offices, a result of Trump-era budget cuts, impacted timely communication. The floods, caused by four months' worth of rain falling in hours, also highlighted the challenges faced by the NWS in maintaining adequate staffing and resources. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the administration, stating efforts were underway to modernize the "ancient" systems.