Democrats have questioned the effectiveness of the flash flood warning the weather service sent out on July 4, after floodwaters had already overwhelmed many areas in Kerr County.

Two days before the Guadalupe River rose with terrifying speed and force in Kerr County, Texas, a small team from

Unfounded rumors linking an extreme weather event to human attempts at weather modification are again spreading on social media. It is not plausible that available weather modification techniques caused or influenced the July 4 flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas.

Some governors and mayors are concerned over how current or potential cuts to agencies will impact how the government can respond in the future to major weather events.

National TV news coverage of the catastrophic Texas floods evolved from real-time reporting during the immediate aftermath of the disaster on July 4 to sustained scrutiny of the litany of failures that worsened the crisis.

Texas leads the country in flood deaths. Steep hills, shallow soils and a fault zone have made Hill Country, also called "flash flood alley," one of the state's most dangerous regions.

As climate change increases the frequency of environmental disasters, experts say federal cuts could leave California and other states vulnerable in the years ahead.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut hundreds of jobs as the National Weather Service earlier this year.