Recent flooding follows measures to mitigate flooding — so what went wrong?

Flooding is nothing new to the Hill Country region of Texas, where, in 1987, heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to swell and spill over, stranding more than 30 people who needed to be rescued — and killing 10 teens from the Pot O’ Gold Christian Camp.

In the decades since, local officials have sought public and private grants to prevent future flooding tragedies, according to reports — raising questions about how Friday’s devastating storm surge along the Guadalupe took so many lives.

A $1 million grant approved in 2017 funded the upgrade of high-water detection systems along the Guadalupe River, and paid for the installation of 10 new gauges...