Deadly downpours hit Texas, United States with a death toll from the catastrophic floods reaching at least 96 people.

The deadly July 4 flash floods in Texas have prompted a lot of questions and soul-searching: about the failures of early-warning systems, the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Weather Service and disaster programs and the vulnerability of communities around the country to disasters worsened by climate change.

At several points during the hearing, the state emergency management chief directed attention to the role of local emergency managers in disaster response.

Texas lawmakers on Wednesday scrutinized the state's emergency response to the July 4 floods that killed at least 136 people after a top Republican said legislators had no intention of criticizing or assigning blame.