At least 82 people are dead after heavy rain led to "catastrophic" flooding in Texas. Kerr County was hit the hardest, with at least 75 deaths, including 27 children. President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the county and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground there.

In the days after the devastating flood that killed dozens in Central Texas, local officials have deflected direct questions about preparations and warnings in advance of the storm that struck July Fourth.

The heavy rain that turned a river in Texas into a raging wall of water was fueled by unique atmospheric conditions, according to meteorologists and climate scientists.

When the precipitation intensified in the early morning hours Friday, many people failed to receive or respond to flood warnings at riverside campsites known to be in the floodplain.