"There has been a lot of misinformation flying around lately, so let me clarify: the Texas Department of Agriculture has absolutely no connection to cloud seeding or any form of weather modification," Miller said in a statement.

Chris Hayes pushes back on right-wing claims that questions about the Texas flood response are "politicizing" the tragedy. "Policy is about risk and managing it and accountability. The government is there first and foremost to protect us.

In the early hours of Independence Day, rain pelted sleeping communities in central Texas. No one knew yet how devastating the storm would become.

Flooding is the deadliest natural disaster facing Oklahomans, a threat far greater than tornadoes. In the United States, flooding kills an average of 103 people a year. Tornadoes, however, caused 48 deaths on average during the same period, according to the National Weather Service.

"It's sadly common for people to abandon puppies near public areas where they hope someone might find them," the rescue told Newsweek.

As Texas recovers from one of its deadliest floods, some Republicans are spreading a conspiracy theory that suggests that weather manipulation is to blame for the deadly flash floods that have killed at least 89 people.

Thunderstorms have led to flight delays and cancellations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. See flight status.

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.

There are reports some cloud seeding occurred a few days before the Texas flash flood. But it’s important to understand that cloud seeding has a relatively short-term effect in that a certain cloud is seeded and perhaps turns into one individual rain cloud or even a thunderstorm. The increased rainfall would not last for days.