Parents protest in Washington, D.C. after Texas camp tragedy
A group of Texas mothers and climate activists protested near the White House Monday, blaming the deaths of 27 children in recent floods on government cuts to weather forecasting and emergency response systems.
David Smith reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Activists placed 27 flower-covered trunks in view of the White House, each symbolizing a child killed in flash floods at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas.
- Protesters linked the deaths to defunding of agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, which have lost staff and key equipment since President Trump returned to office.
- Demonstrators urged restoration of federal emergency funds, accountability for polluters, and investment in equitable disaster response systems.
Key quote:
“They did not die as a result of natural disaster. They died as a result of choices – terrible and deadly choices – made by Kerr county officials, made by the state of Texas and made by the Trump administration.”
— Samantha Gore, functional medicine nutritionist and former Guadalupe River camper
Why this matters:
Flash floods are growing more intense and unpredictable across the U.S. as climate change accelerates atmospheric instability and intensifies rainfall. At the same time, funding for federal weather and emergency agencies has been slashed, hampering forecasting and local preparedness. In Texas, where development often outpaces infrastructure and climate extremes are worsening, children and families face increasing risks. The rollback of services like flood modeling, balloon launches, and emergency alerts directly affects the ability to respond to threats in real time. The intersection of climate inaction, weakened institutions, and preventable loss is forcing more families to take their grief to the streets.
Related: Early flood and fire warnings often go unheeded, leaving communities exposed to deadly disasters
