Crews work to clear debris from the Cade Loop bridge along the Guadalupe River Saturday in Ingram, Texas. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
The National Weather Service told Noem its notifications department started to look at expansion of its limited flood impact area at 1:18 p.m. local time Thursday, about 12 hours before the tragedy.
Though a flood watch was issued, Noem described it as a "moderate" alert.
"When the [weather] system came over the area, it stalled," she said. "It was much more water, much like [what] we experienced during [Hurricane] Harvey, with the same type of system that was unpredictable in the way that it reacted in the way that it stopped right here and dumped unprecedented amounts of rain that caused a flooding event like this."
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott discuss ongoing efforts after recent flooding along the Guadalupe River during a news conference in Ingram, Texas, Saturday. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM HOSPITALIZED AFTER ALLERGIC REACTION
One of the hardest hit areas was Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian camp in Hunt, Texas.
As of Saturday afternoon, 27 young girls remain missing.
"I do carry your concerns back to the federal government, to President Trump, and we will do all we can to fix those kinds of things that may have felt like a failure to you and to your community members," Noem told a reporter.
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"We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long, to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible," she added.
Noem said reform is ongoing, though she did not announce a specific timeline.
Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.
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