AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Following this weekend's devastating Texas floods that killed more than 100 people, and left at least two dozen still missing, outdoor warning sirens are now getting renewed attention.

"You want to try to get as many chances to get the public's attention that trouble is on the way," said State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston.

On Monday, Bettencourt announced he's drafting a bill -- to be filed at the "earliest opportunity" -- that would place civil defense sirens in flash-flood prone river valleys like the Upper Guadalupe River.

"This phone is too overloaded," Bettencourt said, taking out his cell phone and holding it up. "You get bank alerts, and fraud alerts, and security alerts, and alerts of every kind. So, I was thinking we need to go back to old technology."

Loud sirens, called Outdoor Warning Systems, could save lives as part of a layered approach, Bettencourt said, that also includes weather radios and mobile alerts. Critics point out sirens are expensive, require routine maintenance and can cause confusion.

On Monday, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz told NBC News that flood sirens, and resources for smaller counties to respond and prepare for disasters, will likely be discussed at the federal level.

"Look, I think that's certainly a discussion that will flow in........

© The Hill