KERRVILLE, Texas — State legislators are set to publicly question local officials for the first time since at least 137 people died in deadly July 4 floodwaters in Kerr County, with a hearing scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Thursday that could finally provide answers about the emergency response.

Kerr County officials have for years talked about the need for a more robust flash-flood warning system, including sirens that would reach people in places with no cell service. But in the absence of that expensive infrastructure, they adopted IPAWS — which cost them nothing — as a way to alert more people by phone.

The Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding are coming to Kerrville and lawmakers will now be able to get answers to three looming questions.