In the days after the devastating flood that killed dozens in Central Texas, local officials have deflected direct questions about preparations and warnings in advance of the storm that struck July Fourth.

Before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend’s house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him. Hours later,

Kerr County Commissioners spoke about the importance of an improved flood warning system and funding opportunities to implement such a system. These conversations addressed both the risk of flooding in the Guadalupe Basin and the inadequacy of the existing warning infrastructure.

Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, the epicenter of the catastrophic flooding in Texas, said on Sunday (July 6) that the death toll in Kerr County had reached 59, including the 21 children.

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