Overview

• Search teams have entered their eighth day of operations with more than 170 people still unaccounted for following the July 4 flash floods.
• The president approved an expansion of the major disaster declaration to eight additional counties, unlocking FEMA’s financial and logistical support.
• County and federal officials have launched inquiries into lapses in Kerr County’s CodeRED alerts and the absence of siren-based warning systems.
• National Weather Service employees and White House spokespeople have rejected claims that staffing cuts delayed issuance of flood warnings.
• Texas lawmakers are preparing legislative action to fund early-warning infrastructure and review emergency response protocols.