Weeks before flash floods devastated the Texas Hill Country, Gov. Greg Abbott participated in the first meeting of a new council to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He criticized FEMA as “slow and clunky,” arguing that states are able to respond “more nimbly, more swiftly, more effectively” to disasters.

As a warming planet delivers more extreme weather, experts warn that the Trump administration is dismantling the government’s disaster capabilities.

As the storm system intensified overnight, rainfall totals surged beyond predictions, overwhelming the area’s rivers, creeks, and storm drainage systems.

The City of Laredo activated its Emergency Operations Center in preparation for a Rio Grande flood warning issued by the National Weather Service.

More than a week after deadly floods struck Central Texas, search and rescue teams are continuing to probe debris for those still missing.

Officials in flood-stricken central Texas on Wednesday again deflected mounting questions about whether they could have done more to warn people ahead of devastating flash flooding that killed at least 119 people on July 4.