Warnings predicted both Texas floods and Hurricane Helene. But in both disasters, people were left in harm’s way.

The White House is defending the National Weather Service and accusing some Democrats of playing politics in the wake of devastating floods in Texas.

This part of Texas Hill Country is known for flash floods. Why were so many people caught off guard when the river turned violent?

NWS says Flash Flood Warnings were issued on July 3 and early July 4 in Central Texas, giving more than three hours of warning.

Key positions at National Weather Service offices across Texas are vacant, sowing doubt over the state’s ability to respond to natural disasters as rescuers comb through the flood-ravaged Hill Country.

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.

After the death toll in the catastrophic flash floods in Texas reached at least 104 people, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all girls camp, the Trump administration is explaining the series of warnings that were issued ahead of the floods.

Some experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’ ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management officials.

Emergency alerts gave "preliminary lead times of more than three hours before flash flooding conditions occurred," the agency said

MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION: The catastrophic flooding struck on Friday, causing a surge of 20 to 26 feet on the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, causing widespread damage. President Donald Trump has signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, which is west of Austin.