"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.

NWS says Flash Flood Warnings were issued on July 3 and early July 4 in Central Texas, giving more than three hours of warning.

Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of central Texas on Friday , prompting some experts to question whether staffing shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency