Texas officials won’t say whether emergency alert officer was awake during deadly flooding

Texas officials refuse to say whether the on-duty emergency officer was awake while devastating flooding swept through the central region of the Lone Star State — as the death toll in the worst-affected county rose to 87 Tuesday.

During a press conference today, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha was unable to answer direct questions about who was in charge and whether they were asleep early Friday morning when the Guadalupe River burst its banks.

The sheriff admitted he was only informed about the flood waters ravaging his county at some time between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on July 4, by which point the river had already risen 27 feet in some 45 minutes.

At least 87 bodies —including 30 children — have been recovered in Kerr County, up from the 75 reported dead in the county on Monday.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is also expected to hold a press conference in Kerrville, the Kerr County seat, at 5 p.m. local time Tuesday.