When politics meets physics, ordinary people pay the ultimate price
You see, when I watched those viral videos of the Llano River rising 7.5 metres in just thirty minutes, I didn't just see a natural disaster. I witnessed the devastating consequences of years of deliberate climate policy sabotage—and it's time we discuss it openly.
The Science Behind the Disaster: When Rivers Become Killers
Let me explain what actually happened in Texas, because understanding the science is crucial to understanding why this tragedy was so preventable.
Flash floods are quite literally nature's most dangerous storm-related phenomenon. According to the National Weather Service, these floods develop within six hours of heavy rainfall—often in as little as three hours . But what made the Texas flooding so catastrophic wasn't just the speed; it was the perfect storm of geographical and political factors.
The Llano River, located in central Texas about 110 kilometres from Austin, sits in an area that's been known for decades as prone to flash flooding . There are three key scientific factors that made this disaster inevitable:
First, the drought-hardened soil problem. Texas is characterised by dry, compacted soils that can't absorb water effectively. When torrential rain hits these hardened surfaces, the water doesn't penetrate—it simply runs off, creating what we call surface runoff. It's like pouring water onto concrete rather than soil.
Second, the rainfall intensity was absolutely staggering. We're talking about 100 to 150 millimetres of rain in less than two hours—the same amount that normally falls in four months . Some areas received up to 250 millimetres. That's not just heavy rain; that's what meteorologists call an extreme precipitation event.
Third, the topography actively channelled this water. The Hill Country's terrain naturally funnels rainwater towards rivers and streams, accelerating an already dangerous process.
The result? The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 metres) in just 45 minutes, transforming from what AccuWeather's Jon Porter described as "a typical lazy river" into "a wall of water with a height of 9 metres of fast-moving water" .
The Human Cost of Political Incompetence
But here's what really makes me angry—and should make you angry too. This wasn't just a natural disaster. This was a politically engineered catastrophe, and the fingerprints of Trump's anti-climate agenda are all over it.
Texas has become the poster child for climate denial, turning environmental destruction into a political identity. Under Trump's influence and Governor Greg Abbott's leadership, the state has systematically dismantled every protection that could have prevented this tragedy.
Think about this: when Hurricane Beryl hit Houston in 2024, it left millions without power because the electrical grid was deliberately kept outdated to serve fossil fuel interests. Did they learn? Did they invest in infrastructure? No. They doubled down on deregulation and corporate profits.
But the cruelest cut of all was Trump and Elon Musk's systematic destruction of America's weather warning system. In recent months, their "spending review" has gutted crucial agencies like the National Weather Service and NOAA—the very organisations responsible for keeping people alive during extreme weather events.
When Warnings Fail, People Die
The consequences of these cuts became devastatingly clear in Texas. Kerr County Judge Ron Kelly admitted: "We do not have a warning system" . When pressed about why more precautions weren't taken, he said, "Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming" .
But that's simply not true. The science was there. The warnings were there. What wasn't there was the political will to act on them.
The National Weather Service had issued flood watches on Thursday afternoon, estimating up to 17 centimetres of rain. But their capacity to provide accurate, timely warnings had been deliberately crippled by the Trump administration's ideological war on science.
Here's what really happened: the weather service predicted 15 centimetres maximum rainfall, but the actual storm delivered volumes well beyond that, catching even Texas's emergency management chief off guard. This isn't incompetence—it's the predictable result of systematically defunding the agencies we rely on to keep us safe.
The Deadly Mathematics of Climate Denial
Flash floods kill an average of 127 people annually in the United States, with 145 deaths recorded last year alone . Nearly half of all flood-related fatalities involve vehicles, because most people don't realise that just 15 centimetres of water can make a car difficult to control, and 45 centimetres can sweep it away entirely .
These aren't just statistics—they're preventable deaths. Every single one of those 82 Texans who died in this flood represents a failure of leadership, a triumph of ideology over science, and a testament to what happens when we let politics override physics.
Among the victims were dozens of children, including girls attending a summer camp. As one heartbroken Texan wrote on social media: "As a Texan & Father, My Heart Is Breaking Tonight". These weren't just numbers—they were somebody's daughters, somebody's future.
The Bigger Picture: Climate Chaos by Design
What happened in Texas isn't an isolated incident. It's part of a deliberate pattern of climate sabotage that's been accelerating since Trump returned to the White House.
The administration has systematically eliminated environmental regulations, promoted unrestricted fossil fuel extraction, and cut funding to climate and scientific programmes delle politiche anti-clima di Trump - greenMe.pdf). In Texas, this has translated into laws favouring energy companies, systematic deregulation, and active boycotts of renewable energy.
Trump has even banned the use of terms like "climate crisis" from government communications, erasing the very language we need to discuss these threats delle politiche anti-clima di Trump - greenMe.pdf). It's not just ignorance—it's wilful blindness in the face of mounting evidence.
What This Means for All of Us
Here's what I want you to understand: the Texas flooding isn't just a Texas problem. It's a preview of what happens when we prioritise corporate profits over human lives, when we choose ideology over science, and when we gut the very systems designed to protect us.
Flash floods can happen anywhere. They don't respect state boundaries or political affiliations. A normally tranquil stream in your neighbourhood can become a raging torrent if heavy rain falls upstream . Climate change is making these events more frequent and more severe, and we're deliberately making ourselves less prepared to handle them.
The tragedy in Texas shows us what happens when we let climate deniers run climate policy. It shows us the real cost of cutting science funding, of ignoring expert warnings, of treating environmental protection as a luxury rather than a necessity.
Moving Forward: Science Must Lead
As someone who's dedicated their life to making complex scientific principles accessible, I believe we have a responsibility to speak clearly about what's happening. The science of climate change isn't debatable—it's physics. The effectiveness of early warning systems isn't political—it's proven. The need for climate adaptation isn't optional—it's survival.
We need to rebuild the weather forecasting systems that have been gutted. We need to invest in infrastructure that can handle extreme weather. We need to stop pretending that we can drill our way out of a climate crisis.
Most importantly, we need to remember that behind every climate statistic is a human face. Those 82 people who died in Texas weren't acceptable losses in some ideological war—they were preventable deaths in a completely avoidable disaster.
The question isn't whether we can afford to act on climate change. The question is whether we can afford not to. Texas just gave us the answer, written in flood water and measured in human lives.
We can do better. We must do better. The science is clear, the solutions exist, and the only thing standing in our way is the political will to choose life over profit.
This article was written specifically for you by Gerd Dani of Free Astroscience, where we believe that understanding science isn't just about satisfying curiosity—it's about saving lives. When complex scientific principles meet real-world consequences, clear communication becomes a moral imperative.
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