Just hours after appearing alongside Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference following one of the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history, the city manager of Kerrville referred to her as “basically homeland Barbie” in a private text message—comments now revealed in a damning trove of internal communications obtained by KSAT.
The remarks by City Manager Dalton Rice were sent on July 5, one day after flash floods swept through Kerr County, killing 108 people locally and at least 137 statewide over the Fourth of July weekend. His offhand insult is now drawing sharp criticism, especially as Kerrville’s lack of preparedness in the face of the catastrophic floods comes under mounting scrutiny.
📱 Casual Mockery Amid Catastrophe
In a newly uncovered text exchange with a city staffer, Rice was asked how it went “meeting Homeland Barbie”—a mocking nickname aimed at Secretary Noem, who had arrived to tour the flood-stricken area. Rice replied:
“Beahahaha basically homeland Barbie.”
Just the day before, Rice had shared the stage with Noem at an official press conference addressing the state’s emergency response. His comment, critics say, highlights a disturbing tone of detachment from local leadership amid an ongoing crisis.
The nickname “Homeland Barbie” has circulated online among critics of Noem since her appointment, but for a senior municipal official to use it while still facing dozens of fatalities and chaos on the ground has sparked outrage across social media and within the community.
🛑 No Warning, No Action
The records reveal a troubling picture of disorganization. Texts exchanged between Rice and Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. on the evening of July 3—just hours before the flood—show them casually discussing the next day’s Fourth of July celebration at Louise Hays Park, unaware of the impending danger.
“Big day tomorrow at LHP,” Herring texted Rice.
The next message came the following morning at 6:37 a.m., after the floodwaters had already begun wreaking havoc:
“Where’s the emergency operations center?”
One of the most tragic sites was Camp Mystic, where 27 children and staff were killed when floodwaters surged into the Guadalupe River campground. Fifteen of those victims were staying in a single cabin known as Bubble Inn.
At 10:43 a.m., the mayor texted Rice for an update on Camp Mystic. Rice replied bluntly:
“Everything is still unconfirmed.”
⏰ Delayed Emergency Response
The investigation also found that Kerrville’s fire department did not mobilize its off-duty personnel until 8:55 a.m., hours after the National Weather Service had issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. and after floodwaters had already claimed dozens of lives.
Even more concerning, Kerr County’s Emergency Management Coordinator W.B. “Dub” Thomas was reportedly asleep at home when the disaster struck.
“We’re going to take a hard look at how the response was handled,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told CNN, admitting that key officials were not available during the critical early hours of the flood.
😱 Casual Texts in Crisis
The tone of the internal communications only adds to public frustration. When council members were first informed of the flooding, Councilwoman Delayne Sigerman responded sarcastically:
“Whoever prayed for this should pray for cease fire in Israel.”
Councilwoman Brenda Hughes added:
“Ugh!!! Not what we needed today 😢”
In another exchange on July 4, Rice texted Mayor Herring that someone was a “(expletive) joke”—though it remains unclear to whom he was referring.
💔 A State in Mourning
The human toll of the disaster is staggering:
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137 lives lost statewide
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108 deaths in Kerr County alone
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27 fatalities at Camp Mystic, including children
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Hundreds more injured or displaced
Despite these numbers, the city’s top officials appear to have been underprepared and disconnected, both in their planning and emotional response.
💬 Noem Silent, Rice Unavailable
Secretary Noem has not publicly responded to the mocking text. Dalton Rice has also declined to comment on the remarks or the records released.
With pressure mounting, Kerrville and Kerr County officials are now facing calls for a full independent investigation into the emergency response, communication failures, and the conduct of leadership during and after the disaster.
Mayor Herring has pledged to “review all procedures,” while Sheriff Leitha insists the county will be “fully transparent” moving forward.
But for families mourning lost loved ones, questions remain:
Why wasn’t more done? Why were warnings ignored?
And why did leadership appear so casual as disaster unfolded around them?
