In the last nine years, federal funding for a system has been denied to the county as it contends with a tax base hostile to government overspending.

While Kerr County officials say they didn't know how bad the July 4 flooding would be, it warned residents nearly eight years ago to "be flood aware" about the ongoing potential for "monstrous and devastating flash floods.

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