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.

"There has been a lot of misinformation flying around lately, so let me clarify: the Texas Department of Agriculture has absolutely no connection to cloud seeding or any form of weather modification," Miller said in a statement.

Flooding is the deadliest natural disaster facing Oklahomans, a threat far greater than tornadoes. In the United States, flooding kills an average of 103 people a year. Tornadoes, however, caused 48 deaths on average during the same period, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy rain poured over parts of central Texas, dumping more than a month's worth of rain for places like San Angelo.

Weather model data shows the National Weather Service had reason to warn of higher flood risks. Still, meteorologists say the agency made reasonable predictions.

NBC News is tracking online price levels for dozens of items at major retailers to determine when and how much they may fluctuate throughout the rest of the year.

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