Catastrophic flooding hit the Texas Hill County on July 4 when Kerrville received 10 to 12 inches of rain in a matter of hours. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet within 45 minutes, according to state officials, and dozens of people have died.

For years, local leaders in Kerr County, Texas, talked about getting a flood warning system that didn't rely on cellphones — but the project was never funded.