Residents of Kerrville, Texas, say the rapidly rising floodwaters on July 4th took them by surprise. While phone warnings were sent, many did not hear them. WOAI's Matt Roy reports.

The updates and images out of Texas are especially painful for some of our neighbors who grew up in the hardest hit community. Parker Kennedy now lives in New Orleans, but was born and raised in Kerrville.

State Rep. Wes Virdell, whose district includes Kerr County, voted against House Bill 13 earlier this year. The bill would have funded a statewide rural alert system. But after spending the weekend assisting in disaster zones caused by the floods, the state rep voiced a change of heart, per the Texas Tribune .

One longtime emergency first responder speaks with our 25 News reporter about what emergency calls are like and the toll they can take on families.

Michael Abner said he was awakened at 5 a.m. on the Fourth of July by the owner of an RV park in Kerrville, Texas, where he was staying as floodwater began reaching his RV. (AP video: Stephen Smith)

Kerrville businesses and volunteers are leading recovery efforts after the deadly Hill Country floods devastated the area.

FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration, in coordination with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, are opening a Disaster Recovery Center in Kerrville on Thursday, July 10, to help homeowners, renters and business owners impacted by the flooding.

Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring scolded reporters for shouting questions during a press conference. He then responded to NBC News' Morgan Chesky's question about why a flood warning system had not gone into place despite past county discussions.