"Tragedy" doesn't mean "inevitable"

How did the weather become political?

Our hearts are with Texans this week as they cope with losing at least 80 lives in the recent flash flood, including dozens from a girls’ summer camp. For most of the country, the headlines will soon move on and thoughts of the Guadalupe River will be replaced by the next crisis. But for the families who have lost loved ones, their heartbreak has just begun.

The question on everyone’s mind now is whether we could’ve prevented this tragedy.

Local officials are criticizing the National Weather Service for failing to properly warn people, like Judge Rob Kelly, the top elected official in Kerr County. "We had no reason to believe that this was gonna be anything like what's happened here,” Kelly said. “None whatsoever.” Federal budget cuts (thanks, DOGE) have meant fewer weather balloons and staffing shortages in local Texas weather offices.

Federal officials, of course, are claiming that the system worked. Some, like Kristi Noem, are even blaming Biden.

But this isn’t about blame. It’s about preventing future tragedies. Sure, the weather has always been difficult to predict — but as we learned in our episode “Okay, But Why Are They Defunding the Weather Service,” there’s a lot we can do when we properly fund the science. The problem is that the Trump administration doesn’t want to fund the science because it shows the reality of climate change.

The weather shouldn’t be political. Human lives shouldn’t be political. Science shouldn’t be political. And yet here we are, with the authors of Project 2025 defunding the Weather Service because of its contributions to the “climate change alarm industry” (that is to say, reality).

If we’re going to prevent future tragedies like last week’s flooding in Texas, we need our elected leaders to take climate change seriously.

And if you want to learn more about weather and climate change, we’re holding a virtual event tomorrow, July 8, at 7:30 PM Eastern. We’ll be joined by experts who will help us break down the facts, debunk the myths, and learn about real solutions that are within our reach. Whether you're brand new to this issue or just want to speak more confidently about it, you'll leave with the knowledge and tools to take meaningful action. You can learn more and RSVP here.