The search for victims of deadly flooding in Texas Hill Country is headed into its third week as officials try to pin down exactly how many people remain missing.

Professional crisis communicators watched the news conferences with dismay. Deflecting blame is not helpful if politicians want to build trust with the public, they say.

The forecast comes on the heels of heavy rain in Louisiana and Mississippi on Thursday, major and disruptive flooding that forced a state of emergency in New Jersey, and deadly flash floods in Texas that took the lives of at least 135 people, including children at a Christian girls’ camp.