Statement record

Greg Abbott — Jul 17, 2026

Governor of Texas (R) · Jul 17, 2026

At a news conference in Uvalde after the 2026 Hill Country flooding, Abbott said the lessons of 2025 produced a better response: "Everybody in Texas has been far more prepared to deal with what has happened this year. Lives have been saved." He said the flood-warning sirens installed around Guadalupe River campgrounds — a key change lawmakers approved after the 2025 disaster — were operational and "functioned as intended."

Analysis notes

GOP-framing track (in-window). Preparedness-vindication frame: credits 2025 state reforms (sirens/camp safety/monitoring) with the far lower toll (~2 vs 130+). No climate framing; the story is state emergency-management success, not the climate-linked rainfall driver.

Codes

Credits State Reforms yes — Credits 2025 flood-preparedness laws / sirens with saving lives.
Climate Connection no — No climate framing.