As the deadly floodwaters in parts of central Texas recede, there are growing questions about how the catastrophic rainfall seemingly caught the area by surprise. Some local officials say the National Weather Service underestimated the extreme rain but the agency says an initial flood watch was issued Thursday afternoon.

Texas forecasters issued a series of early-morning warnings about “life-threatening flooding” along the Guadalupe River.

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.