Texas lawmakers and the lieutenant governor pressed local officials to explain their handling of the catastrophic July 4 weekend floods that killed more than 160 people — including 37 children — across the state’s Hill Country,

Texas state lawmakers from both parties criticized local authorities in Kerr County for being unprepared for the devastating July Fourth flooding that left more than 135 people dead in their region.

All key leading officials from the Texas county hardest hit by the July 4 flash flooding that killed at least 136 people, were absent from an emergency briefing call ahead of the flash flooding incident,