The Calm Before the Deluge

A little over a week after the devastating floods in Central Texas, the death toll has reached more than 130 people — and the search for the missing continues.

In the aftermath of the disaster, there have been mounting questions about how local officials handled the critical hours before and after the storm. Today, we look at the missed opportunities that may have contributed to the growing tragedy — and whether anything more could have been done to save lives.

Guest: Christopher Flavelle, a Times reporter covering how President Trump is transforming the local government..

Background reading: 

• Kerr County, where most of the deaths occurred, failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.
• Years before the floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved the removal of many Camp Mystic buildings from flood zones, records show.
• Eight-year-olds at camp, families in their R.V.s: These were some of the lives lost to the Texas floods.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Carter Johnston for The New York Times

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