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.

The death toll in Kerr County, Texas climbed above 100 Friday night as recovery operations continued in the county on a day when President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump toured the damage left behind by July 4 flash flooding.

FEMA records show officials in Kerr County, Texas, did not use FEMA's system to send warnings to phones in the hours as the flooding began on July 4.

Kerr County officials waited 90 minutes to send emergency alert after requested, dispatch audio shows Kerr County's CodeRED emergency system was first introduced in 2014.

Plans to develop a flood monitoring system in the Texas county hit hardest by deadly floods were scheduled to begin only a few weeks later.

Kerr County repeatedly failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.

Twice, the Texas Division of Emergency Management turned down Kerr County's requests for money to improve flood warnings.

A "Basic Plan" for emergency response for three Texas counties labeled flash flooding as having a "major" impact on public safety, according to a page on a city website.