The 50-foot poles along the San Marcos River have sirens for severe weather, wildfires and tornadoes — and they were put to use last weekend.

In the last nine years, federal funding for a system has been denied to the county as it contends with a tax base hostile to government overspending.

Since 2016, the topic of a "flood warning system" for Kerr County has come up at 20 different county commissioners' meetings, according to minutes. The idea for a system was first introduced by Kerr County Commissioner Thomas Moser and Emergency Management Coordinator Dub Thomas in March 2016.

As historic flash floods swept through Kerr County over July 4 weekend, killing more than 100 people and leaving families scrambling to escape in the dark, a years-old decision by county officials to block a proposed siren alert system has come under renewed scrutiny.

Over 35,000 signed a petition urging Kerr County to install flood warning sirens after flash flooding killed at least 100 people on July 4.

Outdoor weather alert systems are not required by any federal or state law. The choice is left up to local leaders.

Residents say Kerr County's use of CodeRED alerts was sporadic and inconsistent. Local officials have not answered questions about when and how they utilized the system, which has been in place since 2009.

Kerr County had discussed buying such things as water gauges and sirens after previous flood disasters. But as with many rural Texas counties, cost was an issue.