Texas Governor Gov Abbott to address deadly July 4 flooding in special session

Texas flooding: What's next for lawmakers

How are Texas leaders working to make sure that this massive flood, like the one that we just saw a few days ago, doesn't claim so many lives that next time it might hit our state?

State lawmakers to address flood preparedness 

HOUSTON - As the death toll from the July 4th floods in Kerr County continues to climb -  now surpassing the fatalities from Hurricane Beryl and even Hurricane Harvey – lawmakers are under growing pressure to prevent future tragedies.

What we know:

Kerr County, in particular, was hit hard by the Hill Country floods, with local emergency officials calling it one of the worst natural disasters the region has ever seen.

Governor Greg Abbott has already called a special legislative session for later this month, and now he says disaster preparedness and recovery will be front and center.

"When we end that session, we’ll end it knowing that communities are better, more resilient, and have the resources they need," Abbott said during a press conference.

Were the needs known? 

What they're saying:

Kerr County is no stranger to flooding; it’s labeled one of the most flood-prone areas in Texas by multiple officials. Democratic State Representative Ron Reynolds says the danger was well known, and efforts to address it were stalled.

"This could have been addressed in the past," Reynolds said. "We now know there were requests from Kerr County commissioners on three separate occasions since 2016 for $1 million and those requests were denied."

Records show county commissioners began discussing the idea in 2016, suggesting large-scale sirens that could be heard from miles away - a backup to the existing CodeRed phone alert system, which relies on cell service and user enrollment.

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick pointed to the potential life-saving value of such systems on FOX News. 

"Had we had sirens in this area — the same sirens they have in Israel when an attack is coming — it’s possible that would have saved some of these lives," he said.

Abbott has resisted calls to assign blame.

"Who’s to blame? Know this - that’s the word choices of losers," the governor said.

Reynolds pushed back after hearing the Governor’s remarks. 

"Governor Abbott, I respectfully disagree. We can do our search and rescue mission and give the people real answers," he said.

While it's not yet clear what specific legislation will emerge from the upcoming special session, early discussions indicate emergency alert systems and siren infrastructure could be among the first issues tackled.