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A rally and memorial was held on the Ellipse near the White House on Monday for the victims of the Kerr County, Texas, flood on the weekend after the Fourth of July.
It was organized by climate activists and others who are demanding the full funding of the National Weather Service, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They said cuts over the years by federal and local agencies are directly responsible for the deaths of over 120 people.
“Our hearts are broken to be here commemorating the lives of 27 children who should be at home right now, recounting the adventures they had at summer camp,” said Samantha Gore, a Texas mom who attended Camp Mystic as a child.
Gore and about 30 other people held signs reading, “No more kids lost to climate disasters,” and, “We need warnings not cuts.”
They stood behind 27 pink, lavender and blue footlockers with a yellow or red rose on top, commemorating each of the young girls at Camp Mystic who were swept away in floodwaters on July 4.
“We need more than thoughts and prayers, we need accountability. That’s why we’re here,” said Nyeka Arnold, with Austin-based The Healing Project. “Who’s responsible when families are left without shelter, food or power?”
People at the rally warned that if cuts continue, so will tragedies like what happened in Texas.
“This is what’s coming for every community in America,” said a man who identified himself only as a dad from San Antonio, the closest major city to where the disaster occurred in Kerrville.
“If you think it’s just this one place, it’s coming for you next,” he said. “You think you’re safe? No place is safe.”
Those participating in the rally said this was not just a natural disaster, it was a preventable event. They said it was made worse by climate change and political decisions that don’t invest in emergency warning systems that could have saved lives.
The advocates are imploring Congress to bring back the funding of critical infrastructure and the organizations that predict severe weather. They said climate change is real, and they want elected leaders, especially members of President Donald Trump’s administration to acknowledge that and make the proper investments to ensure what happened in the Texas Hill Country doesn’t happen again.
“Parents are here, calling on our National Weather Service, and NOAA, and FEMA, to be fully funded. These are the agencies we use to protect our children and to protect our families,” Gore said.