The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes on the morning of July 4th, leading to devastation and more than 100 deaths across Central Texas. CNN recounts what happened in the first 48 hours of the flood.

Ninety-six of those killed were in the hardest-hit county in central Texas, Kerr County, where the toll includes at least 36 children. State officials vowed to continue searching for over 160 people many still missing but have acknowledged the dwindling chances of finding survivors alive a week after the disaster.

Historic Texas flood leaves 161 missing and 96 dead. Rescuers battle harsh conditions, as communities grapple with heartache and aid reaches survivors.

According to a new report Secretary Noem did not sign off on deploying FEMA’s urban search and rescue team to Texas until this Monday—more than three days after the floods struck. In the meantime, she was on Instagram crowd sourcing opinions about her official portrait.

Hovering above the debris-strewn Guadalupe River, drone pilot Jordy Marks scans the flood-ravaged landscape with a quiet determination. As part of a civilian search and rescue team, Marks is helping guide ground crews to areas still untouched nearly a week after deadly floodwaters swept through Central Texas.

Volunteers combing through debris piles from the devastating Central Texas flooding had to sniff out decaying bodies in the “chaotic” initial days of the search-and-rescue efforts.

As monstrous floodwaters surged across central Texas late last week, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency leapt into action, preparing to deploy critical search and rescue teams and life-saving resources,

Recent flash flooding in Texas​, New Mexico​ and North Carolina​ is highlighting the extreme danger of these natural disasters and the need to be prepared.