Conspiracy theories about weather modification programs are surging online amid a torrent of misinformation following tragic flash floods that struck the US state of Texas on July 4, 2025, with posts across platforms claiming a local cloud seeding operation triggered the rainstorms.

More than 111 people have died across six counties after flash flooding from heavy rain began affecting the state last week.

In some ways, out-of-towners were more vulnerable in the July 4 flood. At least 19 of the more than 100 people killed were from the Houston area.

Q: Is it true that if President Donald Trump hadn’t defunded the National Weather Service, the death toll in the Texas flooding would have been far lower or nonexistent? A: The Trump administration did not defund the NWS but did reduce the staff by 600 people.

Viral posts promoted false claims that cloud seeding, a form of weather modification, played a role in the devastation. Meteorologists explain it doesn't work that way.

Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), who co-sponsored a bill to strengthen rural weather monitoring systems, joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss how his state is recovering from the catastrophic floods.

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.

A swift-moving flood that swept through the Hill Country of Texas on Friday, killing at least 79 people and leaving many more missing, was a flash flood.

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.