As record-breaking floods devastated Kerr County over the Fourth of July weekend, newly released records reveal local officials were caught off guard by the scale of the crisis — and privately mocked federal leaders during the emergency response.
One message, in particular, has drawn attention. In a text exchange uncovered through a public records request by KSAT, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice referred to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as “basically Homeland Barbie.” The nickname has been used online to deride Noem since her confirmation earlier this year. The exchange came just hours after Noem participated in a press conference in Kerrville to address the unfolding tragedy.
Rice’s message came in response to a staffer who texted him: “Just saw you met Homeland Barbie. How is she?!?!?!” Rice replied, “Beahahaha basically homeland Barbie.”
The floods, which killed 108 people in Kerr County and at least 137 statewide, were among the deadliest natural disasters in recent Texas history. Much of the devastation centered around Camp Mystic, a summer retreat along the Guadalupe River, where 27 campers and staff members died.
The newly released messages provide a window into a local response that was disorganized and underprepared. Kerrville officials did not activate off-duty fire personnel until nearly 9 a.m. on July 4 — hours after the most destructive waves had hit. Earlier messages between Mayor Joe Herring Jr. and Rice show the two were focused on the city’s upcoming Fourth of July celebrations, with Herring calling it a “big day” at Louise Hays Park.
By the next morning, that celebration was canceled as catastrophic flash flooding overwhelmed the region. “Where is the emergency operations center?” Herring texted Rice at 6:37 a.m. Water rescues were already underway, and the full scope of the disaster was beginning to emerge.
City officials weren’t the only ones under scrutiny. Federal response efforts were hampered by rule changes requiring personal approval from Secretary Noem on key spending contracts. According to multiple reports, those delays caused FEMA teams to be held up for up to three days. In addition, the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had recently pushed out a local National Weather Service emergency coordinator.
Understandably, criticism is coming from all sides as both residents and state lawmakers demand accountability for the tone of the leadership coming out of Kerrville as well as their ineptitude at impleneting basic a basic warning system along the Guadalupe.
As Kerrville and the surrounding communities continue recovery efforts, the full cost of the government’s delayed and distracted response — at all levels — is only beginning to be understood.
