The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

Flood Warning Failures: The Texas Tragedy


Listen Later

When the flood came, the warnings didn’t. In this episode, a deadly cascade of communication breakdowns and the consequences of delay. At least 129 people are dead, with dozens still missing, after historic flash flooding swept through central Texas. The timeline reveals a gap between federal alerts and local action. Lives were lost in those hours.

We examine what went wrong, why the local warning system never materialized despite years of requests, and how messaging from state and national leaders continues to fail the public in real-time. From delayed sirens to political deflections, this is a story about infrastructure, accountability, and the high cost of silence.

Plus: the Camp Mystic aftermath, FEMA’s delayed deployment, the governor’s football analogy, and the backlash to a viral video that reframed the tragedy through race and privilege.

The floodwaters receded. The questions haven’t.

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.

Follow Molly on Substack
Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter
Subscribe to Molly's Live Events Calendar.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.

This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.


Follow & Connect with Molly:

  • https://www.youtube.com/mollymcpherson
  • https://mollymc...
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The PR Breakdown with Molly McPhersonBy www.mollymcpherson.com

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

206 ratings


More shows like The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

View all
Reality Life with Kate Casey by Kate Casey

Reality Life with Kate Casey

7,391 Listeners

Tom & Lorenzo’s Pop Style Opinionfest by Tom Lorenzo

Tom & Lorenzo’s Pop Style Opinionfest

737 Listeners

Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald by Heather McDonald & Studio71

Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald

25,815 Listeners

Be There in Five by Kate Kennedy

Be There in Five

7,191 Listeners

Hollywood Raw Podcast by Hurrdat Entertainment

Hollywood Raw Podcast

1,160 Listeners

The Emily Show by Baker Media, LLC.

The Emily Show

1,985 Listeners

Pop Apologists by PodcastOne

Pop Apologists

3,215 Listeners

Glamorous Trash: A Celebrity Memoir Podcast by Chelsea Devantez

Glamorous Trash: A Celebrity Memoir Podcast

2,198 Listeners

Beyond The Blinds by Cloud10

Beyond The Blinds

3,358 Listeners

The TMZ Podcast by TMZ

The TMZ Podcast

482 Listeners

FluentlyForward by CAKE MEDIA

FluentlyForward

2,200 Listeners

Deux U by Deuxmoi & Audacy

Deux U

2,081 Listeners

I've Had It by Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan

I've Had It

16,295 Listeners

Handsome by Headgum

Handsome

13,020 Listeners

Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce by Wave Originals

Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce

10,227 Listeners