Deadly Texas flood exposes 'neglected' weather alert system Trump aims to modernize

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Trump administration looks to ‘upgrade’ National Weather Service technology, Kristi Noem says at Texas flood news conference

Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin reports on the latest in Texas after catastrophic flooding leaves several dead and missing on ‘Fox Report.’

After a Texas flood killed at least 32 people Friday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem addressed criticism about notification prior to the flood, saying the administration is working on updating the National Weather Service and NOAA's "neglected" and "ancient" systems.

Citing her time in Congress and as governor of South Dakota, Noem said that while the weather is difficult to predict, there have been instances when officials and citizens expressed the need for quicker warning and clearer notification before deadly weather.

"That is one of the reasons that, when President [Donald] Trump took office, he said he wanted to fix and is currently upgrading the technology," Noem said during a news conference with state officials Saturday afternoon. 

"The National Weather Service has indicated that with that and the [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] (NOAA), we needed to renew this ancient system that has been left in place with the federal government for many, many years."

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Crews work to clear debris from the Cade Loop bridge along the Guadalupe River Saturday in Ingram, Texas.  (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in March that at least 880 workers at NOAA were fired as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) spending cuts, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Cantwell, at the time, said the firings would jeopardize the government's ability to "forecast and respond to extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires and floods," and would be "putting communities in harm’s way."

While the agency would not confirm the number of layoffs, a NOAA spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital the agency "remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience."

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The National Weather Service told Noem its notifications department started to look at expansion of its limited flood impact area at 1:18 p.m. local time Thursday, about 12 hours before the tragedy.

A drone view shows debris on a road after flash flooding in Comfort, Texas.  (Reuters/Marco Bello)

Though a flood watch was issued, Noem described it as a "moderate" alert.

"When the [weather] system came over the area, it stalled," she said. "It was much more water, much like [what] we experienced during [Hurricane] Harvey, with the same type of system that was unpredictable in the way that it reacted in the way that it stopped right here and dumped unprecedented amounts of rain that caused a flooding event like this."

Initial reports indicated heavy rain Friday morning caused the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes. 

Weather service employees told Noem they continued to elevate notifications, though those alerts likely would have come through in the early morning hours when local residents were asleep.

Texas officials in Kerr County on Saturday confirmed at least 43 deaths, including 14 children.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott discuss ongoing efforts after recent flooding along the Guadalupe River during a news conference in Ingram, Texas, Saturday. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

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One of the hardest hit areas was Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian camp in Hunt, Texas. 

As of Saturday afternoon, 27 young girls remain missing.

"I do carry your concerns back to the federal government, to President Trump, and we will do all we can to fix those kinds of things that may have felt like a failure to you and to your community members," Noem told a reporter. 

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"We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long, to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible," she added.

Noem said reform is ongoing, though she did not announce a specific timeline.

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.