Cruz, at the local news conference in Texas, pushed back on NWS claims but said there would be a "period of retrospection" after the immediate recovery efforts to analyze what happened and what went wrong.

After deadly floodwaters swept through Central Texas, there are questions about the timeline of weather alerts and possible gaps in the warning system.

Emergency responders continue to search for missing people and local police said efforts have been slowed by "sightseers who are making things worse."