Snopes - Investigating claims Kerr County rejected Biden admin's $10M offer to improve flood warning systems
In mid-July 2025, social media users circulated a rumor that Kerr County, an area hit hard by central Texas' devastating flash floods, rejected $10 million offered by former U.S. President Joe Biden to update its flood warning system.
Biden's administration did offer Kerr County about $10 million in pandemic relief funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021. However, while local governments could use those funds for flood infrastructure, the federal government did not specifically earmark the money for that purpose. It could be used for various purposes, such as pandemic-related government services and pay for essential workers.
Kerr County residents had mixed reactions to the offered funds. While the county's commissioners faced pressure to reject the federal money, they eventually accepted it and used most of it to build a new first responder emergency radio system for the sheriff's department.
Although reputable reports indicate county officials, for years, discussed and attempted to upgrade their flood warning system, it remained unclear, as of this writing, why Kerr County did not use any of the federal funds to improve flood infrastructure. Harley Belew, a commissioner at the time, said via email that the radio system the county bought with ARPA funds was used "to full effect" during the flooding.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/07/16/biden-kerr-county-flood-warning-systems/
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