On the night the deadly floodwaters raged down the Guadalupe River in Texas, the National Weather Service forecast office in Austin/San Antonio was missing a key member of its team: the warning coordination meteorologist,

It’s discouraging that during this time when we have such a loss of life, and so many people’s lives have turned upside down, that people are playing politics with this,” Noem told NBC's Kristen Welker.

Texas lawmakers will start working on their response to the state’s deadly flooding when they meet later this month in a special session. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) this week ordered the Legislature to consider a series of topics related to the storm, starting with improving and strengthening early warning systems and emergency communications.

Governor Abbott updates on Texas flood response with over 2,200 personnel deployed and various assistance measures in place.

FEMA officials say Noem took days to sign off on the deployment of resources to assist with the search and recovery efforts.

Hours later, he was rushing to safety: He woke up in darkness to electrical sockets popping and ankle-deep water. Quickly, his family scrambled nine people into the attic. Phones buzzed with alerts, Flowers recalled Saturday, but he did not remember when in the chaos they started.

Concerns arise in Carnation, TX over the inactive early warning siren for Tolt Dam, despite Seattle Public Utilities' alternative alert systems.

Officials in Kerr County, where the majority of the deaths from the July 4 flash floods occurred, have yet to detail what actions they took in the early hours of the disaster.

The Austin Firefighters Association has delivered a vote of no confidence in the Austin Fire Department’s chief, following accusations by top union leadership he delayed emergency response

President Trump visited central Texas to assess the damage from catastrophic flash flooding that left 120 dead. Amidst mounting questions about government response, Trump pledged support for new warning systems.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, discuss the ongoing search and rescue efforts after recent flooding along the Guadalupe River during a press ...

Exhausted volunteers were still trying to find dead bodies wiped out by the disaster in Sunday when they were told to evacuate via the new alert.