Before and after satellite images reveal the catastrophic impact the Texas flood had on parts of Kerr County closest to the Guadalupe River.

A Kerrville-area river authority executed a contract for a flood warning system that would have been used to help with emergency response, local officials said.

As of 6:25 p.m. on Wednesday, 96 people — 60 adults and 36 children — are dead after Hill Country flooding, Kerr County officials said.

SAN ANTONIO — Five days after the waters of the Guadalupe River rose and overwhelmed much of Kerr Country on July Fourth, search and recovery efforts continue as the community picks up the pieces of one of the state's worst natural disasters in years.

Satellite imagery of Camp Mystic and other areas along the Guadalupe River shows the devastating aftermath of the Fourth of July floods in Texas.

Newly released satellite images reveal catastrophic damage caused by the Hill Country floods along the Guadalupe River.

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

Residents say Kerr County’s use of CodeRED alerts was sporadic and inconsistent. Local officials have not answered questions about when and how they utilized the system, which has been in place since 2009.

With more than 170 still missing, communities must reconcile how to pick up the pieces around a waterway that remains both a wellspring and a looming menace.

Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority have tried several times to get funding to upgrade flood alerts on the river, dating back to 2016.

FEMA was activated after Trump signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, where 59 people were killed by flash floods.