Kerrville authorities say sightseers getting in the way of flood search efforts

Sightseers and self-appointed content creators are getting in the way of ongoing search efforts in Kerr County, where a devastating July 4 flood has claimed at least 80 lives, local authorities caution.

Onlookers are converging on the Texas Hill Country to view the flooding’s damage and record its aftermath, making roads hard to navigate for emergency response personnel, the Kerrville Police Department said in Monday morning Facebook post.

“Our first responders were hampered by heavy traffic yesterday, mostly sightseers who are making things worse,” the post said. “If you’re not from here, don’t come here to see flood damage. If you live here, avoid the river corridor so our first responders can do their jobs.”

The post reiterated pleas the police made throughout the weekend.

“This is not the time to go look at flood damage,” a Sunday Facebook post stated. “Stay home.”

“Our rescue teams are not able to get where they need to be due to so many people flooding the roadways in order to look at and photograph flood damage,” another post added. “Straight talk: wanting to go see flood damage is not a good reason to be out and about. We need room to work and we need to get to places quickly. Please help us by limiting unneeded traffic.”

The phenomenon of disaster tourism appears to follow catastrophes both natural and manmade.

After 2017’s Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico — which took over 3,000 lives — Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced criticism for livestreaming a Facebook tour of the devastation. Guides in New Orleans faced similar blowback for offering visits to areas still devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and tourists still visit the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Such morbid curiosity isn’t a recent development. During the Civil War, people brought picnic baskets and opera glasses to watch the Battle of Bull Run, nicknamed “the picnic battle” for that reason.

However, the digital age has added a new dimension to the glut of sightseers, who — instead of opera glasses — bring their own high-tech video equipment, many in the name of “creating content.”

In pleas issued throughout the weekend and again on Monday, Kerrville police and city officials said personal drones are interfering with those deployed by Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens in the ongoing searching for survivors.

“Kerrville and Kerr County is still under a Temporary Flight Restriction,” Kerrville Police Department said its post. “This means no drones. They are interfering with our air operations.”

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2025.