Historic Texas flood leaves 161 missing and 96 dead. Rescuers battle harsh conditions, as communities grapple with heartache and aid reaches survivors.

A Kerrville-area river authority executed a contract for a flood warning system that would have been used to help with emergency response, local officials said.

In the last nine years, federal funding for a system has been denied to the county as it contends with a tax base hostile to government overspending.

The Houston Texans were the first to announce their donations on Saturday, July 5, with more coming throughout the week. The Dallas Cowboys and the NFL Foundation joined the Texans on Sunday, July 6, with each contributing $500,000 in a $1.5 million total donation.

The grim task of searching for the scores of people missing from the devastating flood that struck Texas Hill Country nearly a week ago is taking an agonizing toll on searchers.

Crews are using construction equipment to clear vehicles, trees and homes in a race to locate the 161 people still missing since Friday’s devastating flood.

Over the last decade, an array of local and state agencies have missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert the type of disaster that swept away dozens in Kerr County, Texas.

Twice, the Texas Division of Emergency Management turned down Kerr County's requests for money to improve flood warnings.