After a tragedy, records from local archives can help us understand how a community understands itself. Here’s some of what we learned following the devastating July 4 flooding in Texas.

Kerr County officials did not issue a locally targeted emergency alert to warn people in town of the rapidly rising waters until two days after the deadly flood, according to

Even in areas that are mapped, like the Camp Mystic site in Kerr County, Texas, that was hit by a deadly flash flood on July 4, 2025, the maps may underestimate their risk because of a reliance on historic data and outdated risk assessments.

A "Basic Plan" for emergency response for three Texas counties labeled flash flooding as having a "major" impact on public safety, according to a page on a city website.

Organizers say a planned candlelight vigil scheduled for this evening in Hunt for victims of the flood has been cancelled due to the threat of more rain in the area. The heaviest rain has now moved southeast along a line from Hondo to San Antonio to Austin.

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.

A Flash Flood Emergency and numerous Flash Flood Warnings were issued in Central Texas on Sunday morning after torrential rain led to the rapid rise of the Lampasas River.

Over 12,000 volunteers have already assisted in Kerr County, according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.