As the senior pastor at the Kerrville First United Methodist Church, David Payne is familiar with the question: "If God has the ability to stop it, why didn't he?"

Before light broke on July 4, dozens of families in Texas Hill Country had their lives changed forever. A downpour caused waterways to rise to near-unprecedented levels, creating floods that devastated a children's summer camp and swept away homes and cars.

Many have decried Kerr County's lack of sirens on the Guadalupe River. Officials in counties that have the systems say they are well worth the money.