As of 6:25 p.m. on Wednesday, 96 people — 60 adults and 36 children — are dead after Hill Country flooding, Kerr County officials said.

With more than 170 still missing, communities must reconcile how to pick up the pieces around a waterway that remains both a wellspring and a looming menace.

SAN ANTONIO — Five days after the waters of the Guadalupe River rose and overwhelmed much of Kerr Country on July Fourth, search and recovery efforts continue as the community picks up the pieces of one of the state's worst natural disasters in years.

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.

Texas has confirmed 119 deaths as a result of the storms that dangerously raised the Guadalupe River 26 feet in under an hour. On Tuesday, first responders and volunteers fanned out on foot, horseback and boats.

The most powerful thing that I can do, is come up here and intercede with prayer for these families, that are hurting beyond what anyone can ever imagine."

Residents of the Guadalupe Keys Resort RV Park in Center Point, Texas continue to recover after flooding hit the area July 4th weekend.