Multiple parts of Central Texas, including Kerr County, were shocked by flash floods Friday when the Guadalupe River and others rose rapidly.

More than 111 people have died across six counties after flash flooding from heavy rain began affecting the state last week.

Flash floods surged through in the middle of the night, but many local officials appeared unaware of the unfolding catastrophe, initially leaving people near the river on their own.

As early as July 2, officials at the Texas Division of Emergency Management, or TDEM, were publishing news releases warning that “heavy rainfall with the potential to cause flash flooding is anticipated across West Texas and the Hill Country” and were preparing resources such as swift-water rescue boat squads.

More than 100 people have been confirmed dead since July 4, when the Guadalupe River in central Texas swelled overnight and triggered flash floods that swept through an area known locally as “Flash Flood Alley.

When the precipitation intensified in the early morning hours Friday, many people failed to receive or respond to flood warnings at riverside campsites known to be in the floodplain.

Texas lawmakers failed to pass a bill in the regular legislative session that would have improved local governments’ emergency communications infrastructure.

Flash floods happen when heavy rains unleash more water than the ground can absorb, causing that water to pile up and flow to low-lying areas

Xavier Ramirez’s family was sleeping in trucks at a campsite near the Guadalupe River when it overflowed amid disastrous rains