When too much rain falls for the ground to absorb, it runs downhill, pulled by gravity into streams, creeks and rivers.

Two massive disasters this year — the Texas floods and Los Angeles firestorms — are leading some to grapple with the question of how to get officials and the public to care and take action.

Kerr County had discussed buying such things as water gauges and sirens after previous flood disasters. But as with many rural Texas counties, cost was an issue.

At least 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic perished in Friday's floods, with the total death toll in the floods now surpassing 100.

There are questions over why oversight was eased at Mystic Camp as it expanded in a hazardous floodplain, the AP reported.

Many camps in the Guadalupe river region are adjacent or are partially inside high-risk flood zones, according to maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The deadly Texas floods have brought the state's approach to land approvals, especially in flood-prone areas, under more scrutiny.

Catastrophic flooding struck central Texas on Friday as the Guadalupe River surged by more than 20 to 26 feet within 90 minutes, causing widespread devastation and forcing mass evacuations in Texas Hill Country. At least 80 people have been killed in the floods while others remain missing or displaced and more than 850 people required rescuing.

Camp Mystic successfully appealed to remove several structures from a FEMA flood zone, despite being located in a high-risk flood area in Texas Hill Country.

The groups also want lawmakers to examine land-use practices and consider ways to protect natural resources, which they say will in turn help protect lives.