NWS says Flash Flood Warnings were issued on July 3 and early July 4 in Central Texas, giving more than three hours of warning.

The White House is defending the National Weather Service and accusing some Democrats of playing politics in the wake of devastating floods in Texas.

Key positions at National Weather Service offices across Texas are vacant, sowing doubt over the state’s ability to respond to natural disasters as rescuers comb through the flood-ravaged Hill Country.

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.

After the death toll in the catastrophic flash floods in Texas reached at least 104 people, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all girls camp, the Trump administration is explaining the series of warnings that were issued ahead of the floods.

Some experts say staff shortages might have complicated forecasters’ ability to coordinate responses with local emergency management officials.

Emergency alerts gave "preliminary lead times of more than three hours before flash flooding conditions occurred," the agency said

What were the National Weather Service forecasts? Why is it so hard to know where rain will fall? Did staff reductions at the weather service and other budget cuts by the Trump administration contribute to the catastrophe?