satellite images show devastating impact of Texas floods
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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.
More than 111 people have died across six counties after flash flooding from heavy rain began affecting the state last week.
Flash floods last week in Texas caused the Guadalupe River to rise dramatically, reaching three stories high in just two hours.
Key questions remain unanswered about the actions Texas officials took both before and during the catastrophic July Fourth holiday floods as a painstaking search for victims continues along the Guadalupe River nearly a week later.
Most summers, Kerrville, Texas, draws crowds for its July 4 celebration. This year, the streets are filled with emergency responders.
Hundreds of parents waited hours Saturday for girls to arrive in Kerrville after their Camp Waldemar stay was cut short by the deadly Guadalupe River flood.
Meteorologists say incredible amounts of moisture in the air fueled a storm that barely moved over central Texas, creating conditions for fatal flash floods.