After intense weeks of search and rescue in the wake of devastating flash floods that hit Kerr County, Texas, the number of people still missing has dropped to three, local authorities reported Saturday.

Originally, more than 160 people were reported missing after the Guadalupe River unexpectedly rose over the Fourth of July weekend, resulting in the deaths of 116 people in the area. However, thanks to an exhaustive collaborative effort between state, local, and federal agencies, many of the people initially reported missing have been located and removed from the list, officials detailed in a statement.

The search effort has been ongoing, with local and federal authorities working tirelessly to verify the status of those missing. As of earlier this week, there were still about 100 unaccounted for people.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice thanked the hard work of more than 1,000 officials from various agencies, noting that their collaboration has been crucial in reducing the missing person count.

“We are deeply grateful to the more than 1,000 local, state, and federal authorities who have worked tirelessly in the wake of the devastating flood that struck our community,” Rice said.

Disaster Preparedness and Response Criticized

The natural disaster has raised a number of questions about the preparedness and response of local and federal officials. According to The New York Times, local authorities in Texas had considered implementing a warning system along the banks of the Guadalupe River, particularly around youth camps located along the riverbed. However, a lack of funding and the high costs associated with installing such a system prevented it from being implemented. Additionally, as reported by CNN and The Washington Post,The federal response was also delayed by a Department of Homeland Security policy requiring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to sign contracts or purchases over $100,000.

Responding to criticism about the government's alleged slowness in responding, Noem called the reports "fake news" during an appearance on Fox and Friends. For her part, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, also denied the accusations, describing claims of a delayed response as "lies" and "an unprecedented display of activist journalism," according to a statement given to The Hill. Meanwhile, local authorities continue the search for the three missing people and have urged the community to stand together as they recover from this tragic event.