KERR COUNTY — The Upper Guadalupe River Authority installed six of seven planned flash flood warning sirens along the Guadalupe River this spring. These installations are part of a broader emergency warning system being implemented along the river, which includes radios and weather alerts.

Justin McClure, owner of JAM Broadcasting in Kerrville, has invested personal funds to place General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) repeaters along the Guadalupe River. These GMRS repeaters are intended to facilitate communication in areas where cell phone service is unreliable. "We want people to be able to communicate if they're down in the river valley or up in the hills around here," McClure said. "That's been a real challenge with the flood and the communications beforehand."

The Hunt Preservation Society is working to raise awareness among residents and visitors regarding emergency warning systems. Vikki Dunn, director of communications for the Hunt Safe program, emphasized the importance of public awareness and training. "A plan is not good if you don't know about it," Dunn said. "There's a lot of communication and education that has to go with this, or else they're tools and they're words on a piece of paper."

The emergency communication network utilizes AccuWeather SkyGuard and National Weather Service alerts to provide targeted weather information. River Sentry uses automated siren towers and flashing lights to warn of rising water levels. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority's River Hub dashboard provides real-time information on rainfall, water levels, and stream flow.