The catastrophic Central Texas floods have claimed at least 121 lives and left 173 missing, as a report reveals that Kerr County officials were repeatedly denied state funding for an emergency flood warning system.

At least 120 people have been found dead since heavy rainfall overwhelmed the river and flowed through homes and youth camps in the early morning hours of July 4. Ninety-six of those killed were in the hardest-hit county in central Texas, Kerr County, where the toll includes at least 36 children.

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.

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

Heavy rain poured over parts of central Texas on Independence Day, with the flooding causing at least 119 deaths.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick discusses President Donald Trump's visit to Texas after catastrophic flooding on 'America's Newsroom.'

Officials in flood-stricken central Texas on Wednesday again deflected mounting questions about whether they could have done more to warn people ahead of devastating flash flooding that killed at least 119 people on July 4.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called on state lawmakers to approve funding for new warning systems and emergency communications in flood-prone areas when the legislature meets later this month. View on e