In the wake of the central Texas flash flooding, after local officials pointed fingers at the National Weather Service for its alerts and forecasts, the agency responded: The NWS alerts gave several hours of lead time,

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

More than 50 people have died and dozens of children are missing in Texas Hill Country after catastrophic flooding, leaving officials struggling to explain if they had done enough to warn people of the fast-rising waters.