“The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has absolutely no connection to cloud seeding or any form of weather modification,” the commissioner said in a statement.
KERR COUNTY, Texas — “There has been a lot of misinformation flying around lately,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement Wednesday addressing claims of weather modification and cloud seeding in the aftermath of deadly flooding in the Hill Country.
Cloud seeding, according to a United States Government Accountability Office report from December 2024, “is a decades-old approach to modifying weather” used to increase rain or suppress hail.
Miller was clear in his statement that cloud seeding and weather modification played no role in the devastating floods.
“The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has absolutely no connection to cloud seeding or any form of weather modification,” Miller said in a statement. “Since the passage of Senate Bill 1303 in 2011, TDA has no legal authority, responsibilities, or involvement in any weather modification programs.”
The statement comes after Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X on July 5, the day after the floods hit the Texas Hill Country, saying she intends to introduce a bill banning weather modification.
“I am introducing a bill that prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity. It will be a felony offense,” Greene’s post reads. “I have been researching weather modification and working with the legislative counsel for months writing this bill. It will be similar to Florida’s Senate Bill 56. We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering.”
Miller said he is an eighth-generation farmer and rancher.
“I know what it’s like to watch the sky during a drought, hoping for rain. When Texas experiences a dry spell, I don’t depend on artificial weather manipulation; I turn to my faith,” Miller said in his statement. “I kneel and pray, just as many farmers, ranchers, and rural communities do.”
Instead of playing into fears, Miller said now is a time for unity.
“Let’s put an end to the conspiracy theories and stop blaming others. Our priority should be the recovery efforts in the Texas Hill Country, as we stand in solidarity with our fellow Texans,” Miller said.