Most summers, Kerrville, Texas, draws crowds for its July 4 celebration. This year, the streets are filled with emergency responders.

Mourners gathered Wednesday night at Tivy High School's stadium, where they had celebrated victories and suffered losses on the field, said Ricky Pruitt, of the Kerrville Church of Christ. “Tonight is very different than all of those nights,” he said. Among those who died was the school's soccer coach.

Kerrville residents are grappling with widespread damage to homes, cars and belongings after recent flooding. Many are turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for financial help.

Flash floods surged through in the middle of the night, but many local officials appeared unaware of the unfolding catastrophe, initially leaving people near the river on their own.

Over the last decade, an array of local and state agencies have missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert the type of disaster that swept away dozens of youth campers and others in Kerr County,

The event was held as search crews and volunteers continued to scour miles along the Guadalupe River for the people still missing.

A Sulphur Springs couple camping on the banks of the Guadalupe River are among the victims of the Hill Country floods that claimed over 100 lives on the Fourth of July.

A "Wall of Hope" appeared on Wednesday in downtown Kerrville, providing a space for people to pray, cry, or honor the victims.