Why there has to be accountability in roles of public safety

Jun 24, 2026

Good morning – I was not planning to do a newsletter this morning, but there is breaking news that I wanted to share. Multiple media outlets are reporting that Camp Mystic — the Christian girls camp where 28 people died in the Texas Hill Country flood catastrophe last July — has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This comes after the camp was forced to abandon plans to resume some of its operations this summer after various legislative hearings and court filings revealed the camp’s near complete lack of planning for the known threat of flash flooding.

The title of this Substack was chosen very intentionally – I want to try to present weather and climate science, insight and news in a reasoned, balanced nature. However, that does not mean searching for unrealistic “both sides” perspectives. When a weather event in my opinion calls for hype, I intend to give it (and be self-critical if the forecast goes awry) — and when I think there is a clear finding in a weather or climate story, I want to provide it.

In the case of Camp Mystic, as more evidence has come out as summarized in this recently released Texas Senate report, it has become abundantly clear that the leadership of this camp did not develop even the most basic safety protocols to protect its staff and young charges against the very well known threat of catastrophic flash flooding along the Guadalupe River. Given that, I personally do not think the camp should ever reopen under its current leadership. Based on many testimonials, I am sure that the camp owners truly cared for the kids there — and recognize that the owner died that morning trying to save himself and others. However, when you have a leadership role that involves the safety of so many people — particularly young children — and grossly fail at the most basic of safety protocols, there should be no do-over.

I recently finished the book Torched by CBS National Correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti. The book outlines his own experience covering the January 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles, and provides a tremendous investigative report on the cascade of failures by government officials that led to this fire becoming such a catastrophic event. He details how the NWS Los Angeles office under the leadership of my longtime friend and colleague Ariel Cohen warned the public and government officials for days of the potential for one of the worst windstorms in recent memories. These winds would arrive in tandem with one of the driest falls and early winters on record, setting the stage for explosive wildfire growth. Yet in a tale with some similarities to Camp Mystic, Vigliotti explains how numerous failures to take basic preparatory steps in response to these warnings by various political leaders and agencies set the stage for the tremendous loss of life and property.

As a longtime public servant who worked closely with others who served their own public safety roles to the best of their abilities, reading Vigliotti’s story filled me with anger. Having people rely on you for the safety of themselves and their loved ones is one of the most sacred trusts that can be given to someone. Seeing so many people in government service betraying that trust either through incompetence or for political expediency is unacceptable.

Turning back to Camp Mystic for a moment, I want to be clear that political leaders should not be getting a free pass there either. It is easy for Texas leaders to say that Camp Mystic did not follow the safety regulations established for summer camps — well, why was that allowed to happen? Who was responsible for ensuring that campgrounds met safety regulations? Did Texas’ environment of small government and minimal regulation contribute to an overall situation that allowed such a well-known camp to apparently operate for decades without even the most minimal preparation for a major flash flood which had happened many times along this river and would certainly happen again?

In my work as a federal employee for 35 years, I prided myself in being a team player and trying to build up mine and other organizations. I still want to do that — but reading Torched and continuing to consider what transpired on July 4th in Texas has made me realize that my post-federal career role also now has other aspects. I have a relatively unique background in meteorological operations and research along with expertise in emergency management. I want to utilize that expertise to provide insight into situations like these and help hold those in positions of responsibility for public safety accountable.

I still intend to be balanced, but I realize that my years of being a team player have probably kept me from being as critical and direct as I should be. I will be working to improve on that going forward — with a particular focus on the work of those in positions of leadership across government who are entrusted with keeping all of us safe. I also hope that you as my readers will hold me accountable and point out situations where you think I am off-base or imbalanced. One of the positive aspects of this new era of modern communication is the ability for us to have two-way conversations. Paid subscribers can engage in Balanced Weather conversation by commenting on posts and engage via chat — and free subscribers can reply to e-mails and reach me directly.