At least 161 are still unaccounted for after the July Fourth floods that saw the waters of the Guadalupe rise to historic levels in Central Texas, officials with Kerr County said Friday. Authorities have confirmed 103 deaths, 36 of whom are children.

Recordings provided to CBS News showed first responders asking for an emergency alert to be sent, but dispatchers delayed because they needed special authorization.

In the last nine years, federal funding for a system has been denied to the county as it contends with a tax base hostile to government overspending.

Kerr County first tried to secure $1 million for a flood warning system in 2017, but could not. Could such a system have prevented loss of life on July 4?

Kerr County failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.

Eight days after devastating flash floods swept through Central Texas, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country announced Thursday it has raised more than $30 million through the Kerr

Experts suggested that more data and education are needed as Texas and the rest of the country build in known flood plains.

Twice, the Texas Division of Emergency Management turned down Kerr County's requests for money to improve flood warnings.