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.

The number of people missing after devastating floods in Texas continues to climb, with officials warning that the recovery effort is far from over despite thousands of first responders clearing debris and searching for survivors.

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 or whether they saw them in time to take action.

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.

Residents say Kerr County’s use of CodeRED alerts was sporadic and inconsistent. Local officials have not answered questions about when and how they utilized the system, which has been in place since 2009.

The Hunt Store was badly damaged by the Texas floods, but the owner vows to rebuild the landmark where Kinky Friedman and other music stars performed.

Kerr County workers affected by July 4 flooding can now apply for disaster unemployment assistance through the Texas Workforce Commission.

Kerr County officials on Wednesday declined to discuss why a voluntary emergency system was not activated July 4 until more than an hour after a first responder requested an alert go out.