A Kerrville-area river authority executed a contract for a flood warning system that would have been used to help with emergency response, local officials said.

Over the last decade, an array of Texas state and local agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system, including failing to secure roughly $1 million US for a project to better protect Kerr County’s 50,

As floodwaters rose rapidly on the Guadalupe River in Texas early on July 4, there was no outdoor siren or warning alarm to alert people to the danger.Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, a top local government official,

Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority have tried several times to get funding to upgrade flood alerts on the river, dating back to 2016.

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.

Twice, the Texas Division of Emergency Management turned down Kerr County's requests for money to improve flood warnings.

A 20-month-old Austin boy died in the Kerr County flash flood after his family’s home was engulfed by water, a family member confirmed.

Experts suggested that more data and education are needed as Texas and the rest of the country build in known flood plains.