The Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department Search and Rescue Team is continuing operations in Kerrville, Texas, assisting with flood recovery efforts.

KERRVILLE, Texas, July 8 (Reuters) - The death toll from the July Fourth flash flood that ravaged a swath of central Texas Hill Country rose on Tuesday to at least 109, many of them children, as search teams pressed on through mounds of mud-encrusted debris looking for scores of people still missing.

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

More than 170 people are still believed to be missing a week after the forceful floodwater hit over the July Fourth weekend.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Saturday that the federal response to the deadly floods in Texas Hill Country last weekend was a good indication of the improved disaster response the Trump administration is committed to providing.

A young father and fiancé in Ingram, Texas, is among the latest people being mourned after torrential rains and flash floods in the central part of the state

In the Austin area, 12 people are still missing and 16 are known to have perished after rain swept away homes along rivers and creeks.

Heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River in Texas to flood on Friday, prompting search teams to begin rescues and leading to reports of multiple fatalities. Overnight, residents in central Kerr County witnessed as much as 10 inches of heavy rain within just a few hours.

Officials warned that the full extent of the catastrophe is unknown and unaccounted victims could still be found amid the massive piles of debris.