A Kerrville-area river authority executed a contract for a flood warning system that would have been used to help with emergency response, local officials said.

Heavy equipment is tearing through massive debris piles in Kerr County as the search for the missing continues.

As of 6:25 p.m. on Wednesday, 96 people — 60 adults and 36 children — are dead after Hill Country flooding, Kerr County officials said.

Since 2016, the topic of a "flood warning system" for Kerr County has come up at 20 different county commissioners' meetings, according to minutes. The idea for a system was first introduced by Kerr County Commissioner Thomas Moser and Emergency Management Coordinator Dub Thomas in March 2016.

"I hope that everyone knows, prayers work and God is still out there," Kerrville resident Donna Ragsdale said.

Kerr County applied for federal grants to build a warning system to protect residents from flash floods. Under the Trump Administration, that kind of funding is drying up.

Over 35,000 signed a petition urging Kerr County to install flood warning sirens after flash flooding killed at least 100 people on July 4.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told CBS News Monday that the state of Texas could pay for storm sirens along the Guadalupe River.

Homeowners insurance policies typically do not cover flash floods like those in Texas and North Carolina. Here’s what to know about flood insurance.