Local officials in Texas on Tuesday said they were unable to answer key questions about how prepared they were for the deadly flooding that struck the area on Friday, including how and when the county emergency manager responded.

Emergency responders kept hope alive as they combed through fallen trees and other debris that littered the hard-hit central Texas communities on the fifth day after devastating floods killed more than 100.

In the days after the devastating flood that killed dozens in Central Texas, local officials have deflected direct questions about preparations and warnings in advance of the storm that struck July Fo