Under a new federal law, National Weather Service warnings of life-threatening flash floods or other emergencies could be sent via satellite to cellphones if cell service goes down.
The law, called the Mystic Alerts Act, comes into effect more than a year after the devastating July 2025 flash flood that killed more than 100 people in the Texas Hill Country, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic as well as the camp’s co-executive director.
“By integrating satellite technology into our emergency alert system, we are ensuring alerts reach people when they need them most,” said U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, a Texas Republican who sponsored the legislation and whose district lies north of the camp.
During the July disaster, the National Weather Service issued several flash flood warnings designed to trigger automatic alerts from cell towers in the affected area through wireless carriers participating in the program. But cell phone reception is notoriously spotty in the region and warnings did not reach everyone. Some people also turn off automatic notifications on their cell phones.
Texas lawmakers responded by requiring flood-prone counties hit by the disaster to install outdoor warning sirens, a process that has not yet been completed. Emergency experts said sirens could help in rural areas but were not a panacea. During a storm, people indoors may not hear sirens, and without education, they may not know how to respond appropriately when sirens go off.
Under the new federal law, the Federal Communications Commission will establish guidelines for integrating satellite technology into the automated cellular system in the event of a cell tower failure. Wireless carriers must tell the FCC whether they will use satellite technology under the new rules. If they do not plan to use it, they must communicate this to their subscribers.
By law, the FCC has a year and a half to issue a final rule on how the use of satellite technology will work. After that, the rule would not go into effect for at least three years.
“This bill will address this technology deficiency and honor the memory of those who have died by ensuring Texans and all Americans can receive wireless emergency alerts on their mobile devices via satellite, even when a disaster strikes,” Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said in a statement.
President Donald Trump signed the law on Thursday.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
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