Public officials in the area have come under repeated criticism amid questions about the timeline of what happened and why widespread warnings were

Most summers, Kerrville, Texas, draws crowds for its July 4 celebration. This year, the streets are filled with emergency responders.

Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump will travel to Texas on Friday to meet with first responders, families affected by the recent deadly July 4 floods, and local officials, according to a White House official.

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Over the last decade, an array of Texas state and local agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert a disaster like the one that killed dozens of young campers and scores of others in Kerr County on the Fourth of July.

Volunteers combing through debris piles from the devastating Central Texas flooding had to sniff out decaying bodies in the “chaotic” initial days of the search-and-rescue efforts.

A Sulphur Springs couple camping on the banks of the Guadalupe River are among the victims of the Hill Country floods that claimed over 100 lives on the Fourth of July.

Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest. The force of floodwater is often more powerful and surprising than people imagine.

Kerrville residents are grappling with widespread damage to homes, cars and belongings after recent flooding. Many are turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for financial help.