Texas, flash flood
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Over 100 people have died after heavy rain pounded Kerr County, Texas, early Friday, leading to "catastrophic" flooding, the sheriff said.
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.
As families and search crews sift through debris, mangled trees and toppled vehicles in Kerr County after the catastrophic Fourth of July flooding, authorities are facing growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued.
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.
When the precipitation intensified in the early morning hours Friday, many people failed to receive or respond to flood warnings at riverside campsites known to be in the floodplain.
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.”
As 27 million Americans are under severe thunderstorm and flash flood watch on Wednesday, a line of strong storms packing intense rainfall is threatening the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Major I-95 cities -- Philadelphia,
Federal forecasters issued their first flood warning at 1:14 a.m. on July 4. Local officials haven’t shed light on when they saw the warnings.