Key positions at National Weather Service offices across Texas are vacant, sowing doubt over the state’s ability to respond to natural disasters as rescuers comb through the flood-ravaged Hill Country.

The White House is defending the National Weather Service and accusing some Democrats of playing politics in the wake of devastating floods in Texas.

There's no sense in finger-pointing over whether or not alerts went out fast enough in Texas, said Landry. As she sees it, preparing for the weather comes down to knowing the landscape where you live and planning out what to do if disaster strikes. "You have to be aware and prepared," she said.

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

The National Weather Service says its Central Texas office was prepared for the devastating storms, but understaffed offices may not be. Scott Friedman reports.

With hurricane season underway and jobs still open at the National Weather Service, Alief native Matt Moreland will serve as meteorologist-in-charge.

In this particular case, we have seen absolutely nothing to suggest that current staffing or budget issues within NOAA and the NWS played any role at all in this event,” Houston-based

Emergency alerts gave "preliminary lead times of more than three hours before flash flooding conditions occurred," the agency said