In the early hours of July 4, the only sound many of the vacationers along the banks of the Guadalupe River would have heard was pounding rain and thunder. They didn’t get any official warning of the rapidly rising waters that ultimately proved deadly to dozens of people swept away in central Texas flash floods.

Multiple parts of Central Texas, including Kerr County, were shocked by flash floods Friday when the Guadalupe River rose rapidly.

Holding back emotion, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said he never received an individual warning before floodwaters surged into his city, killing dozens and leaving families shattered. "I've lost two friends,