A county sheriff in 2016 recalled how he pulled “kids out of trees” in summer camps as leaders debated a siren system for years.

Although Kerr County was hit hardest by flooding, at least seven others have been confirmed dead in different parts of Texas. About 150 miles east of Camp Mystic, Travis County has confirmed at least six deaths, the county confirmed Sunday. Travis County includes the Texas capital city of Austin.

Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, the epicenter of the catastrophic flooding in Texas, said on Sunday (July 6) that the death toll in Kerr County had reached 59, including the 21 children. Dalton Rice, Kerrville City Manager, said "our biggest focus is to make sure that we get families reunited with their loved ones."