Dear ICN Reader,
Corpus Christi, Texas, is on the verge of catastrophe.
Without major rain, the city is now projecting that it could run so low on water next year that it would no longer be able to provide water service to its customers. I’d written about this predicament for years and everyone knew it was coming.
Last week I traveled to Corpus Christi to report on what the city was doing to prepare, only to find little evidence that there was preparation underway, nor acknowledgement of the scale of the disaster.
Current and former city officials told me of city government failures dating back decades — and of the enormous potential consequences to come. If Corpus Christi loses the ability to provide water service to residential and industrial customers, the situation could trigger an economic crisis involving mass layoffs, disruption of fuel supplies, and billions of dollars in emergency spending.
Read the story
After Inside Climate News published my story, news spread fast throughout Texas and beyond.
The article was republished in The Texas Tribune, The Texas Standard, Houston Public Media, Amarillo’s ABC 7 KVII, South Texas public radio station KEDT, and more.
State Senator Adam Hinojosa called an urgent meeting with local leaders to discuss the dwindling water supply, and Corpus Christi officials released a statement in response to our story. When a television reporter on Tuesday asked Gov. Greg Abbott about Inside Climate News’ reporting, Abbott threatened to take over city management if the problem wasn’t resolved quickly.
Inside Climate News will be closely following this story in the days, weeks and months to come. Keep an eye out for more of my reporting on the Corpus Christi water crisis, and other watchdog reporting like this from my ICN colleagues around the country.
Thanks for reading,
Dylan Baddour
Texas Reporter
Dear ICN Reader,
Corpus Christi, Texas, is on the verge of catastrophe.
Without major rain, the city is now projecting that it could run so low on water next year that it would no longer be able to provide water service to its customers. I’d written about this predicament for years and everyone knew it was coming.
Last week I traveled to Corpus Christi to report on what the city was doing to prepare, only to find little evidence that there was preparation underway, nor acknowledgement of the scale of the disaster.
Current and former city officials told me of city government failures dating back decades — and of the enormous potential consequences to come. If Corpus Christi loses the ability to provide water service to residential and industrial customers, the situation could trigger an economic crisis involving mass layoffs, disruption of fuel supplies, and billions of dollars in emergency spending.
Read the story
After Inside Climate News published my story, news spread fast throughout Texas and beyond.
The article was republished in The Texas Tribune, The Texas Standard, Houston Public Media, Amarillo’s ABC 7 KVII, South Texas public radio station KEDT, and more.
State Senator Adam Hinojosa called an urgent meeting with local leaders to discuss the dwindling water supply, and Corpus Christi officials released a statement in response to our story. When a television reporter on Tuesday asked Gov. Greg Abbott about Inside Climate News’ reporting, Abbott threatened to take over city management if the problem wasn’t resolved quickly.
Inside Climate News will be closely following this story in the days, weeks and months to come. Keep an eye out for more of my reporting on the Corpus Christi water crisis, and other watchdog reporting like this from my ICN colleagues around the country.
Thanks for reading,
Dylan Baddour
Texas Reporter