Disaster Overview - Central Texas region is suffering from catastrophic flooding, with some areas receiving over 9 inches (approximately 228.6 millimeters) of rain in less than 24 hours [1] - 161 people are still missing following last week's catastrophe, and heavy rain has temporarily halted the recovery mission [2] Rescue and Recovery Efforts - Dramatic swiftwater rescues are being conducted by firefighters in McGregor [1] - Ongoing rescues are underway in multiple counties, with residents evacuating to local fire departments [1] - Volunteer firefighters have been working tirelessly for 10 days, motivated by the families affected [3] - A volunteer fire station was severely damaged by at least 7 feet (approximately 2.13 meters) of water but has been restored [3] - Search and rescue teams have resumed their mission in some parts of Kirk County, with the search potentially taking months [4] Community Impact - Families are experiencing anguish, especially those still searching for loved ones [3] - The community is focused on bringing loved ones home to provide closure [3]

Disaster Recovery Efforts - The immediate focus should be on recovery efforts and supporting grieving families affected by the flooding in Texas [2][3][6] - There will be time later to evaluate what could have been done to prevent the tragedy [3][4][6] - Emergency management is a tiered system, with federal assistance available if local and state resources are insufficient [16] Weather Monitoring and Warning Systems - A bill was filed to address rural weather monitoring systems to better predict storms [4] - Discussions are ongoing about improving warning systems after monitoring systems are in place [5] - The bill focuses on monitoring low-level weather systems, particularly in rural areas where radar coverage is limited [9][10] - The recent flooding highlights the challenges of monitoring and warning about storms in rural America [10] State Legislative Action - The Texas state legislature will likely discuss how to prevent similar events in the future [14] - The state legislature may consider an emergency flood warning system [15] - Texas is believed to have sufficient financial resources to address the issues related to the flooding [17][18]

way. NBC News correspondent Jay Gray joins us now from Kurville, Texas, where dozens are still missing. Jay, good morning. Joe Savannah, good morning to you.And speaking to the search, the rescue, the recovery, it is still going on around the clock. Hundreds of first responders, including those in the air. We've seen before sunrise here multiple choppers scanning this area.We want to give you a firsthand look as well at some of the devastation the flood waters left behind. The family inside this home escape ...

Joining us now is Serio Martinez Belrren, a reporter for NPR based in Texas. Serio, I hope you're doing okay. I know you've reported on this area for a while.Um, I want to ask you first about the warnings because that seems to be a question everyone is asking. Did residents in this area get any kind of alert or flash flood warning. And even if they did, I was talking to somebody earlier today who said in these areas a flash flood alert on your phone normally means like don't drive in the street, not my hous ...