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 held before the tragedy unfolded, questioning from state lawmakers on Thursday revealed.

F or the first time since catastrophic flooding killed more than 100 people in Kerr County, Texas, the county emergency management director conceded that he was sick and asleep as the water rose to historic levels on the Guadalupe River.

I stayed in bed throughout July 3 and did not participate in the regularly scheduled 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Texas Emergency Management Coordination Center coordination calls,” Kerr County emergency manage