From 1959 to 2019, 1,069 people died in Texas in flooding, which is nearly one-fifth of the total 5,724 flood fatalities in the Lower 48 states in that time, according to a 2021 study in the journal Water.

Severe thunderstorms will continue to prowl the central United States through the weekend with some areas at risk for damage stemming from high winds, hail, tornadoes and flooding. Police officers and emergency crews in eastern Massachusetts were out in full force on Thursday morning, performing rescues and blocking off impassable roads

Weather warnings predicted devastation from both the Texas floods and Hurricane Helene. But in both disasters, people were left in harm’s way.

"The first lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation in the aftermath of this really horrific and deadly flood," Trump said as he spoke at a roundtable event with first responders and local officials.

Heavy rains fell quickly in the predawn hours of Friday in the Texas Hill Country, causing the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes.

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.

Some governors and mayors are concerned over how current or potential cuts to agencies will impact how the government can respond in the future to major weather events.