97: Reflecting on the Texas Hill Country Floods

As Harris County judge, Ed Emmett led the emergency response to weather disasters in the Houston region for nearly 12 years. Bill King is the former mayor of Kemah, Texas, and served on two Texas commissions studying the aftermath of deadly Hurricanes Rita and Ike.   They draw on their experience in disaster mitigation and response and offer reflections on the devastating Texas Hill Country floods, the second deadliest flood event in state history, as a special legislative session begins in Austin and lawmakers put forth proposals for strengthening weather communications and warning systems.   Featured guests: Ed Emmett, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/edward-m-emmett Bill King, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/bill-king This conversation was recorded on July 17, 2025. A transcript of this episode is available here: https://bit.ly/4o2pNqx  You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.