A Kerrville-area river authority executed a contract for a flood warning system that would have been used to help with emergency response, local officials said.

Authorities confirmed Wednesday that 120 people have died in the central Texas floods. Follow for live updates.

The number of confirmed deaths from the Texas Hill Country floods rose to 95 in Kerr County on Wednesday, Sheriff Larry Leitha said.

Over the last decade, an array of Texas state and local agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert a disaster like the one that killed dozens of young campers and scores of others in Kerr County on the Fourth of July.

Recordings provided to CBS News showed first responders asking for an emergency alert to be sent, but dispatchers delayed because they needed special authorization.

Kerr County workers affected by July 4 flooding can now apply for disaster unemployment assistance through the Texas Workforce Commission.

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.

Twice, the Texas Division of Emergency Management turned down Kerr County's requests for money to improve flood warnings.