My time in Kerrville

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Here's the Scoop" – Episode: My Time in Kerrville

Release Date: July 14, 2025
Host: Morgan Chesky
Producer: NBC News

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1. Tragic Floods Devastate Kerrville, Texas

Overview: In this emotionally charged segment, host Morgan Chesky provides an in-depth report on the catastrophic floods that struck Kerrville, Texas, over the July 4th weekend. The disaster has left at least 129 people dead and 166 missing, with many of the casualties being children at summer camps.

Personal Connection and Community Impact: Chesky, a native of Kerrville, shares a heartfelt perspective on the tragedy:

"This one absolutely feels different because this one doesn't hit close to home. It is home." (01:26)

He recounts personal losses, including a high school football teammate who lost his daughter at Camp Mystic and his mother's connection to Jane Ragsdale, the beloved camp director who perished in the floods.

Critical Examination of Emergency Response: The segment delves into the community's scrutiny of the emergency response, particularly the role of the National Weather Service (NWS):

"Did people get flash flood alerts, and if so, from whom? And by the time officials acted, was it already too late?" (03:00)

Chesky highlights conflicting accounts regarding the adequacy of the NWS’s warnings. While Texas Emergency Management head W. Nim Kidd criticized the NWS for being understaffed, the NWS defended its actions, stating that they issued a flood watch and flash flood warnings in a timely manner.

Interview with Kerrville City Manager, Dalton Rice: Chesky interviews Dalton Rice, the Kerrville City Manager, who is unable to confirm whether official flood alerts were received:

"I honestly don't know." (04:55)

Rice explains the reliance on emergency teams and communication networks, emphasizing that alerts are typically managed by city and county officials rather than individual managers.

Ongoing Investigations and Future Preventative Measures: As the community grapples with grief, attention turns to preventing future disasters. State lawmakers, including Representative Wes Videl, are exploring enhanced alert systems for campgrounds. Chesky advocates for improved cell tower infrastructure to ensure better communication during emergencies.

"I'm going to be requesting that some of the cell phone companies work on putting towers in that area for the future." (05:26)

Resilience and Community Support: Despite the devastation, Chesky highlights the resilience of Kerrville’s community. He observes the collective effort to rebuild and support one another, underscoring the strength and solidarity emerging from the tragedy.

"If there's any silver lining here, any at all, it's that I get to see firsthand just how resilient and tough my community is." (06:15)

2. National and International Headlines

a. U.S.-Russia Tensions Escalate: President Donald Trump has issued threats of imposing new secondary tariffs on Russia if a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict is not achieved within 50 days. Secondary tariffs target countries that continue to engage in business with the sanctioned nation.

"It's very simple and they'll be at 100%." (08:55)

Additionally, the U.S. is bolstering its support for Ukraine by sending more Patriot missiles, reinforcing its commitment to NATO allies.

b. Wildfires Ravage the Grand Canyon: A significant wildfire has destroyed multiple structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim. This loss forces the National Park Service to close the North Rim for the remainder of the 2025 season.

c. Box Office Triumph for "Superman": Director James Gunn's "Superman" has achieved a record-breaking box office performance, grossing $122 million domestically and $217 million worldwide in its opening week. It marks the highest solo Superman launch and the third-best opening of 2025, receiving high praise from critics and fans alike.

d. Miller High Life Launches "Spaghettzicle": Miller High Life introduces a new boozy popsicle called "Spaghettzicle," inspired by the viral Spaghett cocktail. This limited edition treat combines beer, Aperol, and lemon, boasting a 5% alcohol content. It’s set to release online on July 16, targeting summer festivities.

"Spaghett Sickle. Ok, turns out it's a boozy popsicle..." (08:55)

3. Notable Quotes

• Morgan Chesky on Personal Impact:

  "This one absolutely feels different because this one doesn't hit close to home. It is home." (01:26)

• Dalton Rice on Alert Status:

  "I honestly don't know." (04:55)

• Morgan Chesky on Community Resilience:

  "If there's any silver lining here, any at all, it's that I get to see firsthand just how resilient and tough my community is." (06:15)

Conclusion

In this episode of "Here's the Scoop," Morgan Chesky delivers a poignant and thorough report on the devastating floods in Kerrville, Texas, weaving personal narratives with critical analysis of emergency response systems. The episode also covers significant national and international news, providing listeners with a comprehensive update on current events. Through its blend of heartfelt storytelling and informative journalism, the podcast offers both depth and clarity on the issues that matter most.

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Timestamps:

• [01:26] – Morgan Chesky introduces the flood tragedy and personal connections.
• [03:00] – Discussion on flood alerts and National Weather Service’s role.
• [04:55] – Interview segment with City Manager Dalton Rice.
• [05:26] – Future preventative measures and infrastructure improvements.
• [06:15] – Highlighting community resilience and support.
• [08:55] – Transition to national and international headlines, including tariffs and product launches.

Transcript

[Dan Snow]

So, folks, you might have noticed the weather's changing out there. The sun appears to be out. The days are longer. This is in the northern hemisphere, of course, and it's got me excited for road trips, days out exploring, and long walks to castles on windswept crags. And if you're looking forward to all that, too, I've got the perfect companion podcast to join you on your adventures this summer. I'm Dan Snow, host of the Dan Snow's History Hit podcast, where I whisk you away into the greatest stories in history. Join me on the high seas as we follow the swashbuckling escapades of Francis Drake. On the Spanish Main, we unravel the myths of the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. I'll tell you everything you need to know about how the American Revolution started and what it would have taken for you to survive the Black Death in medieval Europe. Rackets, luck. This is the podcast you need if you seek to escape into history. And we can all use a little escape at the moment. Check out Dan Snow's history wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan Chesky]

Hey, friends. Big welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. Morgan Chesky here. It's been a minute since I've been in the host chair on the show because as many of you know, I've been on the ground in Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas, since the 4th of July weekend.

[Hoda Kotb]

The news tonight out of Texas, it's just a gut punch.

[Morgan Chesky]

Dozens of families are in anguish tonight, desperately searching for at least 27 children who went missing after the water swept through. So far, at least 129 people have died in the historic floods. 166 people are still missing and many of them are from the Kerr county area. Many of the lives lost were just kids who were away at summer camp. I've covered countless tragedies in my role as a news correspondent for NBC News. But this one absolutely feels different because this one doesn't hit close to home. It is home. I grew up in Kerrville, Texas, born in a hospital just two blocks away from the Guadalupe River. And the people affected those kids missing, they're not strangers. We're talking about high school classmates. Over the weekend, one of my high school football teammates celebrated the life of his young daughter. She was one of the 27 lives lost at Camp Mystic. My mom, Karen, went to high school with Jane Ragsdale. She was the beloved camp director at Heart of the Hills Camp. Jane grew up along this river, knew it well, and yet woke up Friday morning to water surrounding her bed. She called her brother and warned him before going silent. Now, more than a week in, there is a lot of pain here and an incredible amount of grief. And yet this community, my hometown, is starting to step back and really look for answers to multiple questions like how did things get so bad so fast? Did people get flash flood alerts, and if so, from whom? And by the time officials acted, was it already too late? You can call it accountability, a blame game, whatever you want. Everyone's accounts are coming in, and some, including the head of Texas Emergency management, W. Nim Kidd, are blaming the National Weather Service, saying it was understaffed and failed to warn residents in time. The original forecast that we received on Wednesday from the National Weather Service predicted 3 to 6 inches of rain in the Concho Valley and 4 to 8 inches of rain in the Hill Country. And the amount of rain that fell in this specific location was never in any of those forecasts. Others say the NWS did what it was supposed to do and that it was more than adequately staffed with what it calls surge staffing. That means five people on duty instead of the usual two. The NWS says it did issue a flood watch on Thursday, and as early as 1:14am on Friday, July 4, flash flood warnings went out. Add another layer to this mess. Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice told me he still doesn't know if he actually received a National Weather Service alert.

[Dalton Rice]

Did either of you receive those alerts as well?

[Unnamed City Manager]

You know, I haven't even looked at my phone from the National Weather Service diet. I actually think I have my weather reports stuff turned off, if I'm being honest. Most of the stuff I typically don't get, but I'm in it every single day.

[Dalton Rice]

I mean, you're the city manager.

[Unnamed City Manager]

No, I know.

[Dalton Rice]

Why would you have your weather alerts turned off?

[Unnamed City Manager]

Because one, with my family, with first responders, and again, I'm in it every single day. My Phone stays on 24 hours, seven days a week. We're in constant communication with emergency responders, with our emergency managers. Again, we put a team in place that we rely on. I don't micromanage. That's not something that I learned in the military, of course.

[Dalton Rice]

I just want to give you an opportunity to respond. On the morning of July 4th, did you have National Weather Service alerts turned off?

[Unnamed City Manager]

I honestly don't know. I honestly don't know.

[Morgan Chesky]

Those urgent alerts, the ones that tell you to evacuate or take shelter, those have to come from city or county officials. The National Weather Service can't tell you to do that. So I pressed the Kerrville city manager on that very topic during our interview Saturday.

[Dalton Rice]

Do we know if a city alert was pushed out? Because we've heard varying times.

[Unnamed City Manager]

Yeah. You know, as of today, right now, I can't tell you just because I don't. I don't know. We're still heavily involved in the recovery.

[Morgan Chesky]

City leaders say they haven't taken a hard look at how the flood response played out. Now, as my community grieves and is trying at least to pick up the pieces, I'm really going to be focusing my reporting on one pressing question. How do we make sure this kind of devastation, this loss of life, never happens again? I'm not alone here. State lawmakers like Representative Wes Videl told me they're also exploring ways to better alert the Hill country campgrounds and summer camps before the next storm strikes. I'm going to be requesting that some of the cell phone companies work on putting towers in that area for a future. I think that's going to make a big difference because we didn't have communication with a bunch of the camps.

[Dalton Rice]

So for many of these camps, the only way they have to communicate with authorities is cell service. And once that goes down, they're more.

[Morgan Chesky]

Or less cut off. Yeah. At one of those camps, Camp mystic, the director, Dick Eastland, was among those lost in the floods. Now his family tells me he died trying to save the camp's youngest girls in a cabin there known as Bubble Inn, where no one's believed to have survived the rain is, believe it or not, starting to pick up yet again. In fact, as many as 6 to 10 more inches fell over the weekend in Central Texas, prompting rescues and evacuations and unfortunately, putting the search for bodies on hold. I'm not going to lie, it has been a really intense few days on top of a week that feels like an eternity. But if there's any silver lining here, any at all, it's that I get to see firsthand just how resilient and tough my community is, how everyone's pitching in to help rebuild. In a way, I'm fortunate blessed that I get to piece together reporting at my mom's kitchen table. And, yeah, how can I not give her a hug at the end of a long day of reporting? This is tough stuff. I love you, Mom. I love you, baby. Yeah, I think everyone around here could all use a little love right now. Okay, time now for a quick break. We'll be back in just a minute to cover the rest of what's going on. Stick around.

[Dahlia Lithwick]

At this very moment, we are living through a series of cascading constitutional crises, rocketing up to the Supreme Court and shaking the foundations of American democracy. This is not a game of chicken.

[Hoda Kotb]

Where we back down from the Constitution.

[Morgan Chesky]

Like, that's not how this works.

[Dahlia Lithwick]

I'm Dahlia Lithwick, host of Amicus, Slate's podcast about the courts, the law, and the Supreme Court. I've been writing about SCOTUS and the law for more than 20 years, and each week on Amicus we draw on that deep experience to navigate these incredibly uncertain times. Search Amicus that's Am I C U.

[Hoda Kotb]

S to Listen hey everybody, it's Hoda Kotb and I would love for you to join me for new episodes of my podcast, Making Space. Each week I'm having conversations with authors, actors, speakers and dear friends of mine, folks who are seeking the truth, compassion and self discovery. I promise you will leave these talks stronger and inspired to make space in your own life for growth and change. To start listening, just search Making Space wherever you get your podcasts and follow for new episodes every Wednesday.

[Morgan Chesky]

Hey, welcome back to here's the Scoop. Want to catch you up on some headlines now. President Trump is threatening Russia with new tariffs if Russia and Ukraine cannot reach an agreement to end the war. We're going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days. It's very simple and they'll be at 100%. Okay, I know what you're thinking. What exactly is a secondary tariff? I was curious too. Turns out that secondary tariffs are levies that are imposed on countries that do business with the targeted country, in this case, Russia. President Trump spoke during a meeting with NATO's Secretary General today, where he also confirmed the United States will be sending more Patriot missiles to Ukraine. In Arizona, the National Park Service says dozens of structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim, have been destroyed by wildfire. According to the lodge's website, the original structure had been damaged by a fire shortly after it opened, all the way back in 1932. The wildfire at the North Rim means the park will be closed for the remainder of the 2025 season. It is up, up and ka ching. That's right. Director James Gunn's Superman smashed the box office this week, and with a $122 million domestic debut and 217 million bucks worldwide, that makes it the biggest solo Superman launch ever and the third best opening of 2025. Critics are into it. Fans even gave it an A on Rotten Tomatoes, which really is high praise. And DC Comics finally has a hero who can fly and sell tickets. Finally. Before we let you go, Miller High Life. You know the self declared champagne of beers is going full send on Summertime with its new Spaghettzicle. Try saying that fast three times. Spaghett Sickle. Ok, turns out it's a boozy popsicle that was inspired by the viral Spaghett cocktail that's beer, aperol and lemon. The original spaghetti was born at Wet City Brewery in Baltimore as a cheeky lowbrow spin on the classic Italian aperol Spritz. Think less. Rooftop or dive bar Chicago this limited edition treat drops online July 16 and packs a 5% alcohol punch. Sounds like it'll pair quite nicely with sunburns, tank tops and questionable decisions. Cheers to that. And on that note, we are out of here. Thanks for hanging out with us at here's the scoop from NBC News. We'll be back tomorrow. Signing off for now, I'm Morgan Chesky.

[Al Roker]

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[Morgan Chesky]

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