Two dozen experts set to testify at Texas lawmakers' Kerrville flood hearing ahead of the public

State lawmakers, holding their first hearing in Kerrville on Thursday since the deadly July 4 floods, will hear from a lineup of more than two dozen city and county officials, meteorologists, civil engineers, and mental health experts before public testimony begins.

The agenda, obtained by Hearst Newspapers, means flood survivors and others impacted by the devastation will likely have to wait until late in the day to speak to lawmakers. Last week, a flood relief hearing at the state Capitol with testimony from only 16 invited witnesses lasted nearly 12 hours. The public testimony is limited to three minutes per person, according to the meeting notice.

The chairs of the Senate and House joint committees, state Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock and state Rep. Ken King of Canadian, did not immediately respond to questions about the schedule.

READ MORE: Kerrville texts reveal tension with county after deadly July 4 floods

In the aftermath of the floods that killed at least 108 people in Kerr County, state leaders promised that local residents would be heard in their hometown.

"We're going to have a hearing in this room so that the residents and the people of this area don't have to come to Austin," Lt. Gov Dan Patrick said at a reporter’s roundtable on July 11 in Kerrville, which was hosted by President Donald Trump. "We're going to come to them. And we'll stay here as long as it takes to hear their stories and their needs and their wants."

The first panel of invited witnesses on Thursday includes Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr., and City Manager Dalton Rice. Records obtained by the Houston Chronicle show the city’s apparent frustration with the response from Kerr County, and that city officials were unable to reach Kelly until the night of July 4. "The county is reacting poorly to this," Rice texted Kerrville City Council members that morning.

RELATED: Poor coordination hampered flood response, Texas official tells lawmakers

At the hearing last week in Austin, Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told lawmakers that better coordination between state and local emergency managers was needed.

The hearing will also feature testimony from Bill Rector, the longtime president of the Upper Guadalupe River Authority’s Board of Directors, who was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott. During the July 23 hearing in Austin, lawmakers from both parties grilled the river authority’s general manager about the agency’s decision to lower residents’ property taxes rather than upgrade its flood warning system, citing reporting from the Houston Chronicle. A 2016 engineering study found Kerr County needed around $1 million to modernize the system.

After hearing from officials from Kerr County, lawmakers will call up the judges of Tom Green, Mason, McCulloch, San Saba and Menard Counties, which were also affected by the floods.

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Three leaders from urban areas affected by the July 4 flooding will also testify: Travis County Judge Andy Brown, Williamson County Judge Steven Snell and San Antonio Fire Department Chief Valerie Frausto. At least 10 deaths have been confirmed in Travis County and three in Williamson County. In San Antonio, 13 people died in flash floods in early June.

The two final panels will include meteorologists, flooding experts and leaders of two mental health resource centers. After that, lawmakers will open the floor to the public.

The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Hill Country Youth Event Center.