110 dead in Texas, 161 missing in Kerr County
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Questions mounted about what, if any, actions local officials took to warn campers and residents who were in the scenic area long known to locals as “flash flood alley.” Leaders in Kerr County, where searchers have found about 90 bodies,
Since 2016, the topic of a "flood warning system" for Kerr County has come up at 20 different county commissioners' meetings, according to minutes. The idea for a system was first introduced by Kerr County Commissioner Thomas Moser and Emergency Management Coordinator Dub Thomas in March 2016.
The Hunt Store was badly damaged by the Texas floods, but the owner vows to rebuild the landmark where Kinky Friedman and other music stars performed.
Kerr County applied for federal grants to build a warning system to protect residents from flash floods. Under the Trump Administration, that kind of funding is drying up.
At 4:22 a.m. on Friday, as Texas' Hill Country began to flood, a firefighter in Ingram – just upstream from Kerrville – asked the Kerr County Sheriff's Office to alert nearby residents, according to audio obtained
UPDATE: Kerr County Sherrif Larry Leitha reports that as of 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, there are 95 deceased. Among the deceased are 59 adults, 14 who are unidentified, 36 children and 13 unidentified children. There are still five children from Camp Mystic who are missing, as well as one counselor.
"I hope that everyone knows, prayers work and God is still out there," Kerrville resident Donna Ragsdale said.
A "Basic Plan" for emergency response for three Texas counties, including Kerr County, labeled flash flooding as "highly likely" to occur, with a "major" impact on public health and safety, according to an ABC News review of a page on the Kerrville city website.
When asked about the timing of efforts to alert residents about deadly floods, Kerr County Sheriff said, "there's going to be an after action" and says getting closure for families is his priority.