Search crews slogged through thick mud and debris Tuesday in central Texas, where more than 100 people are confirmed dead after catastrophic flooding. Pressure is growing on local officials to explain why more people weren’t warned in time to escape.

Authorities described the search as grueling and slow-moving, with unstable rubble piles and high water complicating recovery efforts along the Guadalupe River. In total, 104 people have been confirmed dead statewide, and officials say the toll is expected to rise.

Lt. Col. Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens said his crews have searched more than 26 river miles using helicopters, drones, boats and K-9 units. His team alone saved about 444 people and recovered 30 bodies, with hundreds of local, state and federal personnel on the ground in “extremely challenging” terrain, Baker said.

Overall, more than 850 rescues have been reported.

“It’s extremely treacherous, time-consuming, it’s dirty work, the water is still there,” Baker said. “We’re having to go layer by layer peeling these off to make those recoveries.”

No live rescues have been reported since Friday, said Jonathan Lamb, a community services officer with the Kerrville Police Department. Officials have repeatedly declined to say how many people are unaccounted for, including at Tuesday’s briefing.

The floods struck before dawn on Friday morning, when torrential rain crashed down on campgrounds, RV parks and riverside communities, sweeping away cabins, vehicles and bridges in a region packed with tourists over the Fourth of July weekend. Floodwaters carried tons of debris downstream, hindering rescue efforts.

Even as the search continues, pressure is growing on local officials to explain why more people weren’t alerted in time to safely evacuate.

At the news conference on Tuesday, several reporters pressed Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha to say when his office knew the floods posed a threat and and how officials weighed whether to issue an evacuation order.

“That is not my priority right now,”said Leitha, adding that he’s focused on locating and identifying people as well as notifying next of kin. He said that his office is still working to assemble a timeline of what happened.

Officials also declined to say whether a local emergency manager was awake when early alerts went out — including a flood warning just after 1 a.m. on Friday.

Leitha said notifications are routed through a dispatch center, and emphasized that getting information to the public in real time is not as simple as “pushing a button.”

The Hill Country — a largely rural area with spotty cell coverage — stretches across more than 20 counties west of Austin and is prone to flash flooding. Narrow, spring-fed rivers draw thousands of vacationers each summer escaping the heat and humidity of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

As of Tuesday morning, officials said 87 bodies had been recovered in Kerr County. The victims include 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp.

Fatalities were also reported as far west as San Angelo, where officials said 12,000 structures were affected, and as far east as Austin, where local news outlets said at least 14 people died and others remain missing.

Weather forecasts show a chance of isolated and short-lived thunderstorms across the Texas Hill County on Tuesday, but they should not last very long, said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center.

“It should be quieter today,” Chenard said. “It doesn’t look like it is going to be that bad today, but we still have to keep an eye on it.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday the state legislature would take up the issue of disaster alert systems in a special session.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox News that lightning may have saved lives by waking some residents, but that a better warning system is needed. “Had we had sirens along this area, it’s possible that would’ve saved some of these lives,” he said. “The state will step up.”

Some politicians and local officials pushed back on assigning blame for the disaster so early. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, dismissed criticism that federal budget cuts may have impaired the National Weather Service, calling it a distraction from the ongoing response.

“My hope is that in time we will learn some lessons to implement,” he said. “But right now, the best focus is on recovery efforts.”

President Donald Trump has approved a federal disaster declaration and plans to visit Texas on Friday.

AccuWeather estimated the disaster may have caused $18 billion to $22 billion in economic losses and property damage statewide.

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(With assistance from Brian K. Sullivan and Julie Fine.)

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