Nearly a decade ago, neighboring counties, Guadalupe and Comal, installed flood sirens. Nearby New Braunfels regularly tests its outdoor warning system, which is designed to alert residents to flash floods that are common in the area. But in Kerr County, officials admitted over the weekend that no such system exists.

State and local officials in Texas have come under scrutiny over the lack of sirens in place to warn people of impending flash flooding.

Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority have tried several times to get funding to upgrade flood alerts on the river, dating back to 2016.