At least 82 people died in devastating Texas floods over the July 4 weekend, including 68 at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp. “No warning, no time,” officials said. Floodwaters from the Guadalupe River surged through dorms, leaving one counselor and 10 girls still missing.
No evacuation order was issued. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly admitted, “I can’t answer that. I don’t know.” A **New York Times** report revealed that crucial forecasting jobs at the National Weather Service and NOAA were unfilled—many lost to Trump-era budget cuts and early retirements. One official left in April under Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” reportedly influenced by Elon Musk.
“It’s hard not to connect the dots,” a former NOAA staffer said. “Fewer experts means slower warnings.”
Even Musk’s AI chatbot Grok blamed the cuts, saying they led to rainfall being “underestimated by 50%,” contributing to the tragedy. Grok added the cuts were “spearheaded by Elon Musk’s DOGE.” Online outrage followed.
Trump declared a federal disaster for Kerr County and promised help. But many called it “too little, too late.” Camp Mystic, once full of joy, now mourns an unimaginable loss. The nation is asking: was this preventable?
