Texas Senator Ted Cruz joined Kerr County officials Monday during a news conference to update the public on the rescue and recovery efforts in Central Texas following the catastrophic flash flooding.

The Republican senator, who was on a preplanned family vacation, did not return to his state until 72 hours after the deadly disaster, which his office said was as quickly as possible.

In the days after the devastating flood that killed dozens in Central Texas, local officials have deflected direct questions about preparations and warnings in advance of the storm that struck July Fo

Local officials in Texas on Tuesday said they were unable to answer key questions about how prepared they were for the deadly flooding that struck the area on Friday, including how and when the county emergency manager responded.

Officials in Texas are facing mounting questions about whether they did enough to get people out of harm’s way before a flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River and killed more than 100 people, incl