(NewsNation) — A panel of Texas lawmakers will head to hard-hit Kerr County on Thursday to hear directly from those most affected by deadly floods over the Fourth of July weekend.
The public hearing will offer legislators and the public an opportunity to hear from survivors in the wake of the devastating floods, which killed at least 135 people.
Victims ranged in age from 8 to 91 years old, and included 27 campers and counselors at an all-girls Christian summer camp.
Only 3 remain missing after July 4 flood in Texas county, authorities say
Thursday’s hearing is expected to be contentious, with a full agenda of state and local officials, including Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Officials are expected to testify about their response to the flash flooding, which has drawn widespread scrutiny.
The hearing comes as authorities have begun publicly releasing records and audio — including 911 calls — that have provided new glimpses into the escalating danger and chaos in the early hours of the July Fourth holiday.
They include panicked and confused messages from residents caught in trees as well as families fleeing with children from homes with water creeping up to the knees.
“People are dying,” one woman tells a 911 operator in call logs released by nearby Kendall County. She says she had a young relative at a church camp in Kerr County who was stranded along with his classmates because of the high waters.
“I don’t want them to get stuck in a low-water crossing. And what are they going to do? They have like 30 kids,” the woman says.
Man cooks for Texas flooding volunteers
Thursday’s hearing will allow Kerrville-area residents to speak directly to authorities and lawmakers about the tragedy.
One man in Kerrville told NewsNation he believes there is too much politics and not enough humanity involved in the response.
Sam Snider, a volunteer from San Antonio, said he’s been in the central Texas town since the flooding happened.
“The community still needs support. There’s been an influx of good-intentioned people … But there’s still massive amounts of families that are still suffering,” Snider said.
This is the second hearing offering public comment since the floods. The first lasted nearly 12 hours.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
