A Kerrville-area river authority executed a contract for a flood warning system that would have been used to help with emergency response, local officials said.

Mourners gathered Wednesday night at Tivy High School's stadium, where they had celebrated victories and suffered losses on the field, said Ricky Pruitt, of the Kerrville Church of Christ. “Tonight is very different than all of those nights,” he said. Among those who died was the school's soccer coach.

What were Kerr County Officials doing to prepare for the possible flooding ahead of July Fourth? That's the question on many minds in the wake of the recent tragedy.

In 2021, Kerr County incorporated FEMA's Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) into CodeRED, so that messages could reach tourists and others not in the local database. The IPAWS system allows local officials to broadcast emergency messages and send text blasts to all phones in the area.

Follow for live updates in the Texas flooding as the death toll rises to 120, as rescue operations start to shift to recovery phase

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

"I hope that everyone knows, prayers work and God is still out there," Kerrville resident Donna Ragsdale said.

TEGNA Texas created a new charitable fund raising money to support people impacted by devastating floods in Central Texas.