NOW: Trump, First Lady meeting with first responders, families in Texas

Disaster Overview & Impact - The community and nation are deeply affected by the significant loss of life along the Guadalupe River [1] - Over 160 people in Kerr County are still missing [5] - A memorial has been set up along the Guadalupe River to honor the victims [3][4][5] Accountability & Preventability - Officials were warned about the potential for a severe flooding event as early as October [2] - There is growing evidence that officials could have and should have done more to prevent the tragedy [8] - A special legislative session is scheduled for July 21st to address these issues [8] - The Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House in Texas will conduct joint investigations to understand the facts leading to the event [9] - Local officials requested a siren system multiple times, but the state denied the request [10][11] Emergency Response & FEMA Involvement - FEMA instituted a policy requiring all expenses over $100,000 to be approved directly by the Homeland Security Secretary, raising questions about potential delays in emergency relief [22][23] - Kerr County did not alert cell phones as the flooding began, and there were delays in sending out code red alerts [24][25] - The FEMA administrator has not been visible or involved in the disaster response, raising questions about FEMA's autonomy [17][18][20]