Miriam "Holly" Frizzell of Abilene was remembered for her vibrant life and love of the normally tranquil Guadalupe River.

With more than 170 still missing, communities must reconcile how to pick up the pieces around a waterway that remains both a wellspring and a looming menace.

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.

This isn't the first time flooding along the Guadalupe River has claimed lives. Jim Moore was a reporter who covered an eerily similar flood nearly four decades ago.

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.

Officials reported at least 84 bodies recovered across Kerr and Kendall counties on Monday. That number is expected to grow.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz joined Kerr County officials Monday during a news conference to update the public on the rescue and recovery efforts in Central Texas following the catastrophic flash flooding.

But meteorologists say the official National Weather Service forecast gave ample notice for people to get themselves – and others – out of harm’s way. State and local officials say nothing could have prepared them for the Guadalupe River to rise as quickly as it did.