Bandera County requests $1.25 million for expanded flood-warning network after July flooding

Bandera County commissioners unanimously approved submitting a project plan and grant request on July 13, 2026, for up to $1.25 million to expand flood monitoring and outdoor warning coverage. The action approved submission of the proposal; it did not approve a grant, begin construction or confirm that the system will be installed.

The request follows July flooding that led to evacuations at RV parks, the closure of Bandera City Park and numerous high-water road closures. The episode showed the practical value of earlier flood information while also highlighting that existing coordination and gauge monitoring helped officials avoid reported water rescues.

What the proposed system would include

According to The Bandera Prophet’s report on the commissioners’ action, the plan would add 14 monitoring locations across the upper Medina River and upper Sabinal River watersheds. The proposed equipment includes eight real-time stream gauges and six rainfall gauges, along with eight outdoor warning signals.

The county also proposed public education as part of the project. Officials described the plan as a roughly 70 percent expansion of county flood-warning coverage. The Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District would serve as the project partner.

The requested amount is $1.25 million. The Bandera Prophet reported that no local match is required. The request remains subject to review under the Texas Water Development Board‘s Senate Bill 3 Outdoor Warning Siren Grants Program.

How the state program works

The Texas Water Development Board administers the grant program created under Senate Bill 3 for counties and other eligible governmental entities in the counties covered by the July 2025 flood disaster declaration. TWDB materials state that the agency authorized an initial grant amount of up to $1 million, with an additional $250,000 available with Executive Administrator approval. Amounts above $1.25 million require approval from the agency’s governing board.

Those rules explain why the county’s July 13 action is best described as an approved submission and funding request, not a confirmed award. A later award, contract, equipment purchase, site list or installation schedule would require separate verification.

July flooding established the local stakes

The Bandera Prophet reported that mandatory evacuations affected RV parks during the July flooding and that Bandera City Park entrances were closed. The Medina River at City Park peaked at 16.76 feet after 8 p.m. on July 16, according to the report, and numerous county road segments were closed because of high water.

The City of Bandera separately posted a disaster declaration dated July 16, 2026. That declaration documents a municipal consequence of the flooding, but it did not approve the county’s grant proposal.

In a July 15 report, the Bandera Bulletin quoted county emergency officials crediting early coordination, agency cooperation and interpretation of existing gauges with helping the county avoid water rescues. The county reported no water rescues during the event. The proposed network is intended to strengthen that response with more monitoring points and warning equipment, not to prevent flooding or replace emergency-management decisions.

The continuing accountability question

If the request is approved, the plan projects about $70,000 per year for operations and maintenance. The Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District is expected to share that cost with the county. The figure is an estimate, not a finalized taxpayer charge, and the available reporting does not establish that it would require a tax increase.

Next steps would include TWDB review, a possible award, agreement execution, procurement and decisions about equipment locations and implementation timing. Until those steps occur, residents should continue relying on official emergency alerts, local emergency-management instructions and road barricades. The proposed system would supplement those existing measures rather than replace them.

Sources

• Texas Water Development Board — Senate Bill 3 Implementation
• The Bandera Prophet — Bandera County commissioners submit comprehensive flood plan
• Bandera Bulletin — Officials credit early response for avoiding flood rescues