Overview

• More than 100 residents died when rapid July 4 flash floods struck Kerr County, where no outdoor warning sirens existed and rural cellphone service was unreliable.
• Sheriff Larry Leitha said he was notified of rising waters between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., despite the National Weather Service issuing its first flash-flood alert at 1:14 a.m. and an urgent warning at 4:03 a.m.
• County officials have not clarified who was responsible for monitoring warnings, communicating with the National Weather Service or activating emergency alerts as floodwaters surged.
• An April decision by the Upper Guadalupe River Authority to hire Kisters for a $73,000 warning-system design has not progressed beyond planning and has yet to produce any operational alerts.
• Local and state leaders are now facing intense calls for investigations into preparedness failures and decision-making gaps in the wake of the disaster.