Texas Flood: Send Help... and Maybe an Ark!

Guadalupe Gone Wild: Not the Riverdance I Expected

Chief here. Received intel about some serious flooding down in Texas. Seems like the Guadalupe River decided to pull a 'Halo 2' and flood the map. Reports indicate a Christian summer camp Camp Mystic got hit hard. We're talking twenty seven missing kids. Twenty seven! That’s a whole platoon of potential future Spartans… or at least some decent Warthog drivers. The river rose twenty six feet in forty five minutes which is faster than I can reload my MA5D assault rifle and that's saying something. They're saying at least 37 dead including 14 kids. This ain't a game folks.

Helicopters and Hope: Desperate Search in 'Flash Flood Alley'

They’re throwing everything they’ve got at this: helicopters boats drones… Sounds like my average Tuesday fighting the Covenant minus the alien plasma. Governor Abbott’s promising a relentless search vowing to 'find every one of them.' Noble sentiment but promises don't float in floodwaters. Remember Reach. I've been reading reports of folks clinging to trees and hiding in attics. This is the kind of stuff that makes even a Spartan like me clench his jaw. This “Flash Flood Alley” sounds like a fun place to spend July 4th. NOT. The water rushes down hill guess that is why it's called HILL Country. Sheesh!

Warning Signs Ignored?: Did Anyone See This Coming?

AccuWeather claims they and the National Weather Service issued flood warnings hours before the deluge. Hours! That’s enough time to build a makeshift raft out of Covenant energy shields. But apparently officials are saying they didn’t expect the rain to be so intense. 'Nobody saw this coming,' says some county judge. Well somebody should've been paying attention. Remember what Cortana said: 'Sometimes our mistakes are the most important thing about us.' Sounds like someone messed up. And now they’re pointing fingers like a Grunt at a birthday party.

Political Posturing: Blame Game Begins

Of course the politicians are already weighing in. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy calls it a 'once in a century flood,' acknowledging the inevitable blame game. Well duh. People want answers. They want someone to hold accountable. But all the finger pointing in the galaxy won't bring those kids back and not all the money in the world. Better to focus on the rescue and recovery now. Then we can figure out who dropped the ball which I suspect is almost everyone.

Heroes Among Us: Acts of Bravery Amidst the Chaos

Amidst the tragedy there are stories of heroism. People saving each other risking their own lives. A firefighter went missing while responding to a rescue. Makes me think 'I need a weapon.' Okay bad joke. But seriously those are the kind of people who inspire me. The superintendent of Ingram Independent School District said people are still looking for their loved ones and they’ve had a little success. Still not much. These are tough people. They’re the best hope in a bad situation.

What Now?: Remembering the Fallen Preparing for the Future

Homeland Security Secretary Noem is promising all available resources from the Trump administration. Good. They’ll need it. This is going to be a long haul. Recovery is going to be a 'long toilsome task,' according to that county judge. They gotta figure out how to prevent this from happening again. Flood warning systems better planning maybe even a giant energy shield around the whole damn county. Whatever it takes. Because losing 27 kids? That’s a loss no one can afford. Time for some serious reflection and maybe a re evaluation of our priorities. Chief out.