Silver Linings and Tin‑Foil Storms
Chasing cloud‑seeding rumors, July 4 floods, and the fine line between science and conspiracy in the Texas Hill Country
There has been a lot of talk about cloud seeding. Did it or didn't it cause the massive flooding we saw here in Texas? This debate could rage on as long as people are clicking on it and searching for it. That's how the internet news cycle works. But what is the reality of it? Is it a useful technology and wonder of the modern world, or is it a deadly and dangerous weapon designed by the cabal to reduce the world's population? Let the rage‑bait debate commence!
I was talking to a guy the other day about this. He might have had too much dope or something, but what he was saying made sense to me. Not that I believe it, but it made sense. The floods happened on July 4, 2025. The annual meeting at Bohemian Grove was set to begin this year on or around July 10. Now, this dufus had a claim to be a seasonal employee at the airport and that he "overheard" conversations at the spring meeting talking about cloud seeding and trying to "sweep out" some of the areas of the country that could be used to harbor radical groups. The overall idea is that it would look like an accident. After the "great experiment" they would all meet back up in July to "look over the data." It sounded like a bunch of shit to me, but it was a good story.
Now, I love a good conspiracy. My radio scanners and satellite data collectors work overtime. I know for a fact that they were cloud seeding over a county near San Antonio just before the flood happened. It was over 100 miles away, in Karnes County. You could see the planes on the radar and ADS‑B. I could hear them on my aviation radio. The truth is that I hear them pretty often. It is not uncommon. I'm pretty used to it.
When I saw the planes on the radar and heard them on the radio, it never crossed my mind that we would get a flood. Now, I know that they say this stuff only has a useful life of about a few hours after they spray it into the air. I call bullshit on that. Every single time they do it, we end up getting these pop‑up Dixie showers for days after. This time was absolutely no different. I'm not saying that they are lying. I'm just saying that it seems strange to me that the practical data I see doesn't add up with what they are spewing out in the press or in their research papers.
Let's go back to July 2, 2025. It was two days before the flood. They were conducting cloud seeding operations in Karnes County, Texas. The claim is that these science flyboys stopped spraying because there were high levels of moisture in the air. Fair enough. Karnes County is just south of me. We didn't get any rain that day at all. The truth is that we only got spotty pop‑up showers over the next couple of days, including the day of the flood in the Hill Country. But starting on July 6, 2025, we have had random afternoon rain showers almost daily. I'm writing this on the evening of July 11, and this was the first afternoon we have not had an afternoon shower.
My little brain says that this crap either wore off or it blew off somewhere else. It seems reasonable. And, to be clear, I am not saying that this is a bad idea or bad science. It has been used since the ’40s. I think that with all types of science you have to consider the good and the bad and realize that not all companies who provide data are providing honest data. I have been a journalist long enough to know that these corporate people and PR gurus can spin a story any way they want it to sound. I don't trust any of it, but the reality is that it does exist and they have been using it for years with hit‑or‑miss success. I don't think they are playing God any more than Novo Nordisk is with Ozempic. It is just science and marketing. It is all a bunch of crap. None of it should be trusted. All of it should be questioned.
But have you ever noticed that if we question science, we are grouped into that same bunch of weirdos who claim the government is secretly run by communists? There is always some alternative group, either right or left, challenging the people who question. The left‑wingers challenged the anti‑COVID people, but the right‑wingers challenge the other side—things like not having the Ten Commandments on every wall in school. If you ask a logical question about anything or try to challenge the conspiracy theorists on both sides, you end up being labeled some sort of faction in yourself. I don't think so. I think we are just people who are looking for honest answers.
So here we are, knee‑deep in post‑Fourth‑of‑July mud and paranoia, staring up at clouds that may or may not be laced with Bureau‑approved pixie dust. Maybe it's all coincidence; maybe the spooks at the Grove are popping champagne right now over a job well done. Either way, the next flash flood or data dump is already queued up, and nobody's calling the cavalry. Light a fresh cigarette, crank the scanner, keep the bourbon within arm's reach—and pray the bastards don't figure out how to make it rain frogs next.