Kerr County failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.

The state leaves building zoning and permits up to the individual counties. And in most non-city counties, such as Kerr, which had 96 deaths as of Thursday due to floods, some officials tend to be lenient towards building owners with restrictions, some state leaders and environmental experts told ABC News.

Some regions in the mid-Atlantic are also facing risks of flooding. On Sunday, Tropical Storm Chantal flooded parts of North Carolina, where more than 10 inches of rain fell near the Chapel Hill area. The Haw River, near Bynum, North Carolina, crested to nearly 22 feet, the highest crest on record there, as a result of those heavy rains.

Get the latest news on President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House and the Republican-led Congress.

Just days into his second term, President Donald Trump said he was going to recommend that the Federal Emergency Management Agency “go away,” dismissing the agency as bloated and ineffective. Kristi Noem,

The president has defended his administration's response to the fatal flooding amid criticism that federal assistance could have been provided more quickly.