Why Dan Patrick is Texas' acting governor. Guadalupe River flood response raises questions

Texas' Acting Governor Dan Patrick issued a statement after ‘catastrophic’ flooding in Kerr County on Friday

Updated on: Jul 5, 2025, 01:48:57 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Texas' Acting Governor Dan Patrick issued a statement after ‘catastrophic’ flooding in Kerr County and missing reports came from a girls camp, Camp Mystic. The official said that he is working with response teams on the flooding in Hill Country and Concho Valley regions. However, social media users were puzzled by the response. Some of them wondered why Texas has an acting governor.

Lt. Gov. of Texas Dan Patrick addressed the floods on Friday (AP)

“I am working in coordination with the state’s emergency response team on the significant flooding that occurred in the Hill Country and Concho Valley regions in the early hours of this morning. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office has reported catastrophic flooding in the area, with several people missing and confirmed loss of life," Patrick said in a statement.

“Additional rain is forecast in those areas. Even if the rain is light, more flooding can occur in those areas. There is an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours in addition to the continued risks in west and central Texas,” he further added.

The acting governor asked locals to coordinate with authorities.

Why Dan Patrick is Texas' acting governor

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick serves as Acting Governor of Texas due to Governor Greg Abbott’s absence. He has previously assumed responsibility several times, including during Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

Under the Texas Constitution (Article 4, Section 16), the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated.

Born Dannie Scott Goeb in Baltimore, Patrick is a conservative radio host turned politician, serving as lieutenant governor since 2015.

Gregg Abbott's statement

Earlier in the day, Gov Abbott issued a statement on the floods.

“The state of Texas is surging all available resources to respond to the devastating flooding around the Kerr county area. That includes water rescue teams, sheltering centers, the National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety. The immediate priority is saving lives,” he said in a post on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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