In response to the deadly floods in the Hill Country, lawmakers from both the House and Senate formed the Disaster Preparedness and Flooding Committee. Today they heard from state officials on the deadly July 4th floods.

Gov. Greg Abbott named nearly 20 issues to the special session agenda, including flood relief, hemp THC restrictions and redistricting.

One of the biggest revelations came from Chief Nim Kidd, head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and a former San Antonio firefighter. Kidd described showing up in the flood zone with his radio—only to find he couldn’t communicate with his own San Antonio Fire Department colleagues.

Texas lawmakers’ inaction on flood prevention often hits rural and economically disadvantaged communities the hardest, experts said.

The recent flash floods in central Texas impacted thousands of homes and laid bare the challenges facing local homeowners, including rising insurance rates.