Texas flood: Rescue operations hindered by heavy rain forecast

Search and rescue operations in Texas were hampered by rain forecasts for the second day in a row after the devastating July 4 floods killed at least 131 people.

Most rescue crews were held off or ordered to stop amid worries of more heavy rain and the possibility of more flooding.

Meanwhile, authorities lowered the tally of people unaccounted for to 101, with 97 still missing in Kerrville and four more in neighboring counties.

Officials have begun draining nearby reservoirs in a bid to locate submerged vehicles and victims.

No one rescued alive since July 4

The floods, which swept through the Guadalupe River basin after over a foot of rain fell in less than an hour, have left entire trailers buried or missing.

Most of those killed were children at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat.

About a third of the Kerr County fatalities are children, most of whom perished at Camp MysticImage: Brandon Bell/AFP/Getty Images

Authorities say no one has been rescued alive since July 4, when the flooding caught residents and tourists off guard before dawn.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said on Monday that it has been difficult to know how many tourists were in the area when the flooding occurred.

"We don't know how many of them there are," Kelly said.

Authorities face flak and threats

As the disaster has also raised questions about readiness, Governor Abbott has called for a special legislative session later this month to investigate the emergency response and preparedness measures leading up to the flood.

Kerr County lacked a flash-flood warning sirens, and officials are now facing mounting criticism and even threats.

The high death toll, in one of the deadliest floods in the US in decades, has sparked concerns over the lack of warning sirens in Kerr County and staffing shortages at the National Weather Service after staffing cuts under the Trump administration.

"They're just playing a blame game," said Kerr County Commissioner Rich Paces, who reported receiving death threats.

Heavy rains are forecast to continue through Tuesday, with up to six inches expected in parts of central Texas, including already-hit areas.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah