4 questions that are still unanswered about Texas’ deadly floods

Associated Press (AP) — Key questions remain unanswered about the actions Texas officials took both before and during the catastrophic July Fourth holiday floods as a painstaking search for victims continues along the Guadalupe River nearly a week later.

Officials have avoided specific explanations of what steps were taken in advance of the intense downpour. Forecasts on July 3 suggested it could threaten the scenic Texas Hill Country where hundreds of locals, tourists and campers were sleeping overnight. At least 120 people were killed and more than 160 people are believed to still be missing.

Here’s what is still unknown about the hours before, during and after the deadly flash flood.

How did officials prepare?

The full extent of Texas officials’ readiness is unclear.

Two days before the flood, the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state emergency response resources and then increased the readiness level the following day. State officials have said early forecasts did not pinpoint where the most intense rains would hit, so equipment and personnel were staged only in several areas, although they have not given specifics.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that prior to a briefing call on July 3, a regional coordinator personally reached out to local officials to make sure they were aware. “The message was sent,” Patrick said.

In Kerr County, where the devastation is most extensive, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said this week he did not know what state emergency management resources were deployed ahead of time.

“I’m not going to contradict the information you have, but I will tell you, personally, I did not receive a telephone call,” he said.

How quickly did Texas authorities act?

That’s still unknown.

Since the flood, Kerr County officials have repeatedly deflected questions about the details and timelines of their response.

The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Friday to mobile phones and weather radios. The warning was updated at 4:03 a.m. to a flash-flood emergency.

The Kerrville Police Department and the Kerr County County Sheriff’s Office began to post on Facebook around 5:15 a.m. warning residents of dangerous flooding. But it remains unclear how, if at all, emergency officials utilized CodeRED, the vendor used for alerting the public to emergency situations and disasters.

An Associated Press review of wireless emergency alerts sent in Texas between July 3 and July 5 found dozens sent by the NWS via a FEMA system to local cellphones that warned of the potential for flash floods. There were none listed as sent by Kerr County agencies until one July 6.

How prepared was Camp Mystic?

Texas inspectors had signed off on Camp Mystic’s plans for an emergency just two days before the floodwaters inundated the all-girls Christian summer camp, killing more than two dozen people.

Camps are responsible for developing their own emergency plans, which are evaluated by inspectors to ensure they meet several state requirements, including procedures for evacuation.

Camp Mystic this week did not respond to requests for comment on its emergency plan.

The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers at the time between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations.

It’s not clear how threatening the July Fourth forecast appeared to camp leaders. The area is naturally prone to flash flooding, but this was an especially bad storm that hit overnight while most people are asleep, experts said. The landscape created the conditions for what some witnesses described as a fast-moving wall of water, which seems to have overtaken the cabins with the littlest campers.

When will we find out more details?

Officials have not given a timeline.

They’ve repeatedly said their focus for now is on searching for the missing. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s highest ranking official, has said officials “did not know this flood was coming.” He has not spoken at any of the county’s daily news conferences since July 5.

William “Dub” Thomas, Kerr County’s emergency management coordinator who has been in the job since November 2015, has not participated in any briefings with the media. On Monday, Thomas attended an emergency meeting of the county commissioner’s court but declined an opportunity to address elected officials.

Kelly and Thomas have not responded to interview requests sent to them and the county.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha has insisted his priority remains the current response, but also said this week an “after action” review of the events leading up to and during the flood will come later.

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Associated Press data journalist Christopher Keller contributed to this report.