City officials in Kerrville were caught off guard by the severe flooding that hit the Hill Country on July 4, as revealed by newly disclosed city communications, including emails and text messages obtained by KSAT through public records requests.

The records feature a humorous text exchange involving Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, where he casually referred to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as “essentially homeland Barbie.”

In the hours leading up to a July 5 press briefing with federal, state, and local leaders to provide an update on rescue operations, Rice got a message from a city employee saying, “Just saw you met Homeland Barbie. How is she?”

Rice responded, “Basically homeland Barbie,” followed by a string of laughter.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Gov. Greg Abbott, discuss the ongoing efforts for recent flooding along the Guadalupe River during a news conference in Ingram, Texas, on Saturday. (Rodolfo Gonzalez/AP Photo)

The catastrophic flooding claimed at least 137 lives across Texas, with 108 fatalities reported in Kerr County alone. Among the dead were 27 campers and staff members at Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls in the town of Hunt.

Authorities are now investigating whether Camp Mystic officials received and appropriately responded to flash flood warnings prior to the tragedy. 

The incident has sparked broader questions about how youth camps and other vulnerable institutions assess and act on rapidly evolving weather threats.

Fox News Digital reached out to Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice and the Kerrville city officials, but did not receive a response. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com