Kerr County officials addressed the Fourth of July floods that killed dozens of people during a commissioners’ court meeting on Monday morning.

Kerr County officials now estimate that flood damage from the recent Central Texas disaster could exceed $200 million-and to help cover mounting recovery costs, they may raise property taxes for the first time in years.

Monday morning, Kerr County Commissioners held a special meeting to address the flood recovery efforts. The floodplain manager for the county, Charlie Hastings, spoke first and recounted that morning, where he was and the sadness he's experiencing for the community.

Kerr County reports 3 missing and 107 deaths, including 37 children, post-flooding. Over 1,000 workers helped lower the missing count, and community support aids the ongoing search and relief efforts.

Some leaders said they are not prepared to raise taxes for what costs “might” be around the corner as Kerr County rebuilds from the Hill Country floods.

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

Less than 5% of homes in the county's FEMA floodplain had flood coverage, well below the national average. Uptake was even worse in other areas that flooded.

That includes an orange cat named Sampson, who disappeared when his family’s house was destroyed. “Samson’s owner did not give up looking for him. The family lost their home in the flood and both family cats were thought to be swept away,” Kerr Pets Alive said in a TikTok post.