On Thursday, for the first time since flash floods along the Guadalupe River killed at least 138 people and left thousands of homes and buildings in ruins, Texas lawmakers questioned local emergency and disaster preparedness officials in Kerr County, the epicenter of the disaster. Unlike some of its neighbors, the county had not installed emergency sirens, and alerts from the National Weather Service did not reach many in time.

Kerr County’s emergency management coordinator, William B. Thomas IV, spoke publicly for the first time at the hearing, noting that he was sick on July 3, the day before the floods, and had informed supervisors that he wouldn’t be able to participate in coordination meetings. He slept through most of the day and learned of the devastating floods the morning of Ju

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