Mourners gathered Wednesday night at Tivy High School's stadium, where they had celebrated victories and suffered losses on the field, said Ricky Pruitt, of the Kerrville Church of Christ. “Tonight is very different than all of those nights,” he said. Among those who died was the school's soccer coach.

Kerrville residents are grappling with widespread damage to homes, cars and belongings after recent flooding. Many are turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for financial help.

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.

Amid staggering loss, hundreds gathered in mourning and prayer at a Wednesday night vigil for the victims of the July Fourth floods.

Texas officials face questions over who monitored weather and warned of floodwaters heading toward camps and homes.

The event was held as search crews and volunteers continued to scour miles along the Guadalupe River for the people still missing.

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Over the last decade, an array of Texas state and local agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert a disaster like the one that killed dozens of young campers and scores of others in Kerr County on the Fourth of July.