In response to the deadly floods in the Hill Country, lawmakers from both the House and Senate formed the Disaster Preparedness and Flooding Committee. Today they heard from state officials on the deadly July 4th floods.

At a joint hearing of special legislative committees probing the deadly Hill Country floods, the state’s emergency management chief said there are no guarantees that local officials are awake when a disaster strikes.

Texas lawmakers’ inaction on flood prevention often hits rural and economically disadvantaged communities the hardest, experts said.

The Texas Capitol is buzzing as the legislative special session officially begins. Lawmakers were called back to Austin on orders from Governor Greg Abbott to address pressing state issues.

The recent flash floods in central Texas impacted thousands of homes and laid bare the challenges facing local homeowners, including rising insurance rates.