"Bring the missing home"

Recent flooding in Texas has been all over the news, social media sites and more. And no wonder. The loss of life had surpassed 100 as of Tuesday of this week - the fifth day of the aftermath.

The numbers of those who lost their lives in this destructive flooding thus far has reached 57 adults and 30 children in Kerr County, Texas alone.

Anxious families are awaiting word of their missing loved ones and with each passing day their hope diminishes just a little more. I know families and loved ones must be frustrated to say the least. I can only imagine what it is like to not know whether your loved one is alive or dead.

Prayers for those who have lost someone, those who are working as quickly as they can to bring people home and for those who survived. Watching some of the newscasts of the flooding I have been somewhat ashamed of the press that has continually pressed about the emergency management system and how notifying people of the impending flooding was handled.

Answers should be gotten. Improvements need to be made. They are important questions; however, right now, responders need to focus on finding those affected and bringing them home. That is and should be the priority at this time. Not the should haves or who did whats, but the taking care of those affected is what is the priority today.

Those questions can be asked and should be answered at an appropriate time - this is not it. I don't know what happens to some news media that they think it should be okay to immediately go in to attack mode, especially towards those who are going through their own trauma trying to help others.

Not only can I not imagine losing a child or grandchild - I can't imagine having to be the one who finds someone's loved one and then have to tell their family members.

In one broadcast I heard as Kerry County Sheriff  was pelted over and over again with questions asking him who was responsible for letting people know the flooding was coming. Again and again he told them that was not his priority and that they could address that after finding those who are missing.

They ignored his response like  he never said a word - continuing their barrage of repetitive questions.

I just can't believe it.

Like I said, if there is a problem with notification in this case - it needs to be addressed. Right now there are parents wondering what happened to their little girl. Someone is missing a sibling or a parent.  Priorities now should be bringing them home.

I've watched as some have turned this whole tragedy in to a political weapon - again, not cool. Things like this should be bringing people together to make things better, rather than being used to cause more political upheaval.

I have also heard some officials in charge comment they have had flooding before, but not like this. Not with 26 feet of water rising in just 45 minutes from the pounding, torrential rain that fell in that area. How do you warn someone about that?

This amount, according to some officials, was the second highest on record. Calling it "extraordinary", officials said rainfall was falling at 2 to 4 inches per hour in some of the affected areas. And like what happens many times with tornadoes, it occurred around 4 a.m. - when most were still sleeping in their beds.

I don't know if things could have been handled better, but I do know if I had someone missing my priority would be bringing them home. I would be asking the "why" and "what happened, but that wouldn't be my first priority.