Ronni Sigoloff was already on high alert in the days leading up to July 4. Fireworks can cause pets to run away from home, stressing already crowded shelters, said Sigoloff, founder of the dog rescue Texas Round Up Animal Alliance.

In the last nine years, federal funding for a system has been denied to the county as it contends with a tax base hostile to government overspending.

Thirteen people are dead and more than 20 people unaccounted for after heavy rain lashed Texas, leading to "catastrophic" flooding. Children are among the dead, and about 23 campers from a summer camp in the area, Camp Mystic, are unaccounted for, said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has taken on the duties of acting governor.