Yaffa Fredrick

@yaffanyc

@HoustonChron senior director of investigations. Former @CNN senior editor. Schmoozer and shaker.

Houston, TX

Joined October 2009

631Following

3KFollowers

Pinned

Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 23

Our latest @HoustonChron exclusive based on the 911 call logs in Kerr County "offers a new look at how the catastrophic Independence Day flooding turned into the county’s deadliest disaster in recent years" -- h/t @DugBegley, @carolineghisolf and @keribla. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

yaffanyc's tweet card. 911 call logs offer a new look at how the catastrophic Independence Day flooding turned into the county’s deadliest disaster in years.

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 23

The river authority in Kerr County had a recent decision to make — upgrade a safety sensor system along the Guadalupe, or give property tax cuts to area residents. It chose the latter. @neenareports and @keribla report. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

yaffanyc's tweet card. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority had a $3 million reserve, but cut taxes rather than replacing an outdated flood alert system before the July 4 Hill Country flood.

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Yaffa Fredrick Retweeted

Abby Church⭐️@abbschurch · Jul 22

We have a fun new tool on the @HoustonChron website... ✨a city budget explorer✨ Curious what cash went into or was taken from your city services under this year's budget? @matt_zdun and I break it down here: houstonchronicle.com/projects/2025/…

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Yaffa Fredrick Retweeted

Marc Duvoisin@MarcDuvoisin · Jul 22

“She is frantic. She said her children are on top of one of the cabanas and they are trapped.” What a 911 anaysis/viz by @keribla @DugBegley @carolineghisolf @AmandaDrane @yaffanyc Hats off. houstonchronicle.com/projects/2025/…

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 20

Tragedy tests faith… and sometimes faith is the only thing that makes unspeakable tragedy bearable. @haajrahgilani explores Christian faith in Kerr County post-July 4 floods. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

yaffanyc's tweet card. As the senior pastor at the Kerrville First United Methodist Church, David Payne is familiar with the question: “If God has the ability to stop it, why didn't he?”

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 17

Texans opt out of emergency alerts at a rate twice as high as the national average. Could that have played a role in the July 4 flooding tragedy? @Dexinvestigates. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

yaffanyc's tweet card. Texas sent out 282 public safety alerts last year, six times more than in 2017. The state also leads the nation in alert opt-outs.

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Yaffa Fredrick Retweeted

Dug Begley@DugBegley · Jul 16

As of July 12, residents in the six counties eligible for aid via the @fema have filed 2,142 applications for assistance. 88 have been approved for a total of about $1.25 million. houstonchronicle.com/projects/2025/…

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 16

When @keribla came back to @HoustonChron, she told me she was setting up a photo shoot on Texas death row to cover a story no one else was covering. Here’s that story. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

yaffanyc's tweet card. A new program in the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, allows death row prisoners to mingle outside of solitary confinement.

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Yaffa Fredrick Retweeted

Neena Satija@neenareports · Jul 11

NEW: Here's what Kerr County officials proposed doing back in 2017 in order to implement a new flood warning system. Would it have made a difference? houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga… w/@carolineghisolf @keribla @Dexinvestigates

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 10

How do out-of-towners receive storm alerts in Kerr County? @keribla and @nkhensley report on Houstonians who survived the flooding tragedy despite "zero warning." houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

yaffanyc's tweet card. In some ways, out-of-towners were more vulnerable in the July 4 flood. At least 19 of the more than 100 people killed were from the Houston area.

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Yaffa Fredrick Retweeted

KellyAnnScott@KellyAnnScott · Jul 10

🧵 The stories out of #Texas have been tough this last week. Hearts are broken over what's unfolded – and so many are grieving for loved ones, friends, traditions, and places in Hill Country that so many hold dear.

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 8

Searchable map alert: Camp Mystic and others hit by deadly floods were built partly in ‘extremely hazardous’ flood zones -- @ChengYilun and @carolineghisolf have the full details. houstonchronicle.com/projects/2025/…

yaffanyc's tweet card. Camp Mystic, Heart O’ the Hills and several other Kerr County camps hit by last weekend’s deadly floods sit partially in floodways and foodplains deemed “extremely hazardous” by officials.

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 8

Camp Mystic was required to have evacuation plans. Did staff have time to use them? @Dexinvestigates digs in. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

yaffanyc's tweet card. July 4 Guadalupe River flood killed more than two dozen campers, but it is still far too early to assign blame — or to declare the tragedy unavoidable.

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 7

For 8 years, Kerr County officials were asking for help implementing a new flood warning system. For 8 years, they were unsuccessful. @neenareports and @keribla report. houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

yaffanyc's tweet card. Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority have tried several times to get funding to upgrade flood alerts on the river, dating back to 2016.

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 7

Read it... and weep. @andreeball's moving story about a missing man - an artist, husband of 39 years, devoted father and grandfather - puts a face to the flooding tragedy in Central Texas. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

yaffanyc's tweet card. Tim Walker of Houston was last seen ushering his family through a broken window after their house flooded as they slept.

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 7

How has the Guadalupe River flooded before? Track 30 years of flood history with our searchable database, courtesy of @act_rational and @DugBegley. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

yaffanyc's tweet card. Explore three decades of Guadalupe River Basin flood data by county with our interactive, searchable database.

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jul 6

“This one is crying out for a warning system.” @DugBegley and @act_rational report on the limited system in place to track rising waters... and where it failed on July 4th. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

yaffanyc's tweet card. Without a modern flood warning system, emergency officials monitor four sensors along the Guadalupe River – including one that was knocked out in the flood.

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Yaffa Fredrick Retweeted

Lauren McGaughy@lmcgaughy · Jul 2

🧵All eyes were on Elon Musk as he slashed his way through Washington this year. But what about the Texas Capitol? I set about tracking Musk's influence here, where he's moved most of his companies. His star may be fading in DC. But Musk had a very good year in Texas. #txlege

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Yaffa Fredrick Retweeted

Houston Chronicle@HoustonChron · Jul 1

Efforts by Third Ward residents to tackle the city's out-of-control nightlife problem have largely failed as a result of lack of zoning and unenforced parking permits. “Third Ward is a lot of things, but it is not Bourbon Street,” columnist Joy Sewing writes.…

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Yaffa Fredrick@yaffanyc · Jun 30

Houston’s Montrose Center has been fighting anti-LGBTQ forces for years. It’s not backing down now, writes @andreeball. houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

yaffanyc's tweet card. Founded in 1978, the Montrose Center and its leader, Avery Belyeu, advocate for a thriving Houston LGBTQ community whose very existence is under siege.

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