Since 2016, the topic of a "flood warning system" for Kerr County has come up at 20 different county commissioners' meetings, according to minutes. The idea for a system was first introduced by Kerr County Commissioner Thomas Moser and Emergency Management Coordinator Dub Thomas in March 2016.

Kerr County applied for federal grants to build a warning system to protect residents from flash floods. Under the Trump Administration, that kind of funding is drying up.

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.On July 8, a reporter asked Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha what was happening in the early morning hours before the flood.

Many warnings from the National Weather Service went out to Kerr County, Texas, but the area wasn't equipped with sirens to wake residents up.

A "Basic Plan" for emergency response for three Texas counties, including Kerr County, labeled flash flooding as "highly likely" to occur, with a "major" impact on public health and safety, according to an ABC News review of a page on the Kerrville city website.

The National Weather Service sent alerts fast and furious. It's not clear if everyone heeded them or realized how dangerous the situation would become.

"I thought my mom was going to die in front of me," said Taylor Bergmann, a 19-year-old who fought to save the people in his family after the Guadalupe River smashed through their home.

Federal forecasters issued their first flood warning at 1:14 a.m. on July 4. Local officials haven’t shed light on when they saw the warnings or whether they saw them in time to take action.

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