Follow for live updates in the Texas flooding as the death toll rises to 120, as rescue operations start to shift to recovery phase

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Over the last decade, an array of Texas state and local agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert a disaster like the one that killed dozens of young campers and scores of others in Kerr County on the Fourth of July.

Kerr County officials say death toll has risen to 96 due to the Hill Country floods, including 60 adults and 36 children.

Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump will travel to Texas on Friday to meet with first responders, families affected by the recent deadly July 4 floods, and local officials, according to a White House official.

Public officials in the area have come under repeated criticism amid questions about the timeline of what happened and why widespread warnings were

Kerr County repeatedly failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.

Volunteers combing through debris piles from the devastating Central Texas flooding had to sniff out decaying bodies in the “chaotic” initial days of the search-and-rescue efforts.

Flash floods last week in Texas caused the Guadalupe River to rise dramatically, reaching three stories high in just two hours.