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Tag Archives: Disaster Relief

Trump tours Texas flood sites and defends officials as questions mount about response

Trump tours Texas flood sites and defends officials as questions mount about response

By SEAN MURPHY and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday toured the devastation from catastrophic flooding in Texas and lauded state and local officials, even amid mounting criticism that they may have failed to warn residents quickly enough that a deadly wall of water was coming their way.

Trump has repeatedly promised to do away with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of his larger pledges to dramatically shrink the size of government, and he’s fond of decrying officials in Democrat-run states hit by past natural disasters and tragedy.

President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter Friday, suggesting she is “evil,” after she asked a question about whether the warning alert system for the devastating floods worked as well as it could have. (AP Video)

But the president struck a far more somber and sympathetic tone while visiting America’s most populous Republican state — highlighting the heartbreak of what happened while effusively praising elected officials and first responders alike.

“The search for the missing continues. The people that are doing it are unbelievable,” Trump, seated with officials around a table with emblazoned with a black-and-white “Texas Strong” banner, said at a makeshift emergency operations center inside an expo hall in Kerrville.

He later added, “You couldn’t get better people, and they’re doing the job like I don’t think anybody else could, frankly.”

Since the July 4 disaster, which killed at least 129 people and left more than 170 missing, the president has been conspicuously silent on his past promises to shutter FEMA and return disaster response to the states. Instead, he’s focused on the once-in-a-lifetime nature of what occurred in central Texas’ Hill Country and its human toll.

“We just visited with incredible families. They’ve been devastated,” the president said of a closed-door meeting he and first lady Melania Trump had with the relatives of some of those killed or missing.

Honoring the victims

Trump’s shift in focus underscores how tragedy can complicate political calculations, even though he has made slashing the federal workforce a centerpiece of his administration’s opening months. He spent a lot of time Friday discussing the victims from Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 people were killed.

“They were there because they loved God. And, as we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God has welcomed those little beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven,” Trump said.

The first lady described meeting “beautiful young ladies” from the area who she said gave her a “special bracelet from the camp in honor of all the little girls that lost their lives.” She promised to return to support the camp in the future.

Trump approved Texas’ request to extend the major disaster declaration beyond Kerr County to eight additional counties, making them eligible for direct financial assistance to recover and rebuild.

“All across the country Americans’ hearts are shattered,” he said. “I had to be here as president.”

Despite saying that he didn’t want to talk politics, Trump couldn’t help himself. During the roundtable, he bragged briefly about his administration reducing the cost of eggs around the country and, in a response to a question about Democratic criticisms of the flood response, said, “All they want to do is criticize.”

“They’re getting just absolutely clobbered ’cause everyone sees what an incredible job the governor did,” Trump said of Democrats. “Everybody in this room, everybody at this table in particular.”

In praise of FEMA

He also still insisted “we’ve got some good people” running FEMA. That is nonetheless a far cry from his call mere weeks ago to begin “phasing out” FEMA.

At the White House, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, similarly dodged questions Friday about FEMA’s future. He said that the agency has billions of dollars in reserves “to continue to pay for necessary expenses.”

“We also want FEMA to be reformed,” Vought said. “The president is going to continue to be asking tough questions of all of us agencies, no different than any other opportunity to have better government.”

On the ground in devastated communities, meanwhile, some state and local officials have faced questions about how well they were prepared and how quickly they acted — including if warning systems might have given more people time to evacuate.

Asked about such concerns during his appearance at the operations center in Kerrville, Trump called a reporter “evil” and said he thought “everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances.”

“I admire you, and I consider you heroes,” Trump said of the officials around him.

He also praised a long list of Texas Republicans and had especially kind words for Rep. Chip Roy, who represents some of the hardest-hit areas. A staunch conservative, Roy initially opposed Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending package but ultimately supported it.

“He’s not easy, but he’s good,” Trump said of Roy. The congressman, for his part, bristled at questions about authorities’ flood response, calling the queries about inadequate flood warnings “ridiculous.”

Seeing the damage close-up

Prior to the roundtable, Air Force One landed in San Antonio and Trump deplaned in a suit while the first lady wore more casual clothing — though both wore ball caps against the heat. The Trumps then boarded a helicopter to Kerrville and saw the flooding aftermath from the air. They later walked close to the Guadalupe River to receive a briefing from officials near an overturned tractor trailer, numerous downed trees and other debris.

Roads in the center of town were shut down, and people lined the streets, some wearing Trump hats and T-shirts and waving American flags. Green ribbons recognizing the lives lost at Camp Mystic were tied around trees, poles and along bridges, and marquees featured slogans such as “Hill Country Strong” and “Thank you first responders.”

Harris Currie, a rancher from Utopia, Texas, near Kerrville, said the flood devastation can be fully understood only by seeing it firsthand.

“Pictures do not do it justice,” Currie said.

Community members grieve during a candlelight vigil to honor the lives lost in the flash floods that claimed more than 120 lives on July 11, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. More than 160 people are still missing after storms cells halted over the area, dumping nearly 15 inches of rain and causing a 22-foot rise along the Guadalupe River. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The remains of a neighborhood is seen on the banks of the Guadalupe River on July 06, 2025 in Center Point, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Search and rescue workers look through debris for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
Debris is piled up at the entrance to Camp Mystic on July 07, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
West Odessa Volunteer Firefighter Jed Wolske takes a smoke break while aiding in search and rescue efforts along the Guadalupe River, days after a flash flood swept through the area, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)
Laeighton Sterling (R) and Nicole Whelam observe flood waters from the banks of the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas with multiple fatalities reported. (Photo by Eric Vryn/Getty Images)
A Sheriff’s deputy pauses while combing through the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic after a flash flood swept through the area Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Asked what officials on the ground needed most urgently from federal sources, Kerr County Commissioner Jeff Holt, who also is a volunteer firefighter, stressed the need for repairs to nonworking phone towers and “maybe a little better early warning system.”

Trump himself has suggested that a major warning system should be established, though few details have been offered on what that might eventually entail.

Friday’s visit was far different from the other times the first couple visited natural disaster sites, during Trump’s first weekend back in the White House in January. They toured North Carolina to scope out damage from Hurricane Helene and saw the aftermath of wildfires in Los Angeles, and the president sharply criticized the administration of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, and officials from deep-blue California.

“The state of Texas, No. 1 they do it right and they’ve done it right for a long time,” Trump said. “And it’s a very special place to me.”

___

Weissert reported from Washington.

Mourning begins in Texas where more than 170 are still missing from flash floods

Mourning begins in Texas where more than 170 are still missing from flash floods

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Sadness is settling in across Texas where at least 120 people have died from flash floods and more are missing. A growing memorial wall in the Hill Country includes photos of those have died. The search for more victims moved slowly Thursday as stifling heat and mounds of trees, hunks of lumber and trash made the task more difficult. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called on state lawmakers to approve funding for new warning systems and emergency communications in flood prone areas. The devastation stretches from the Hill Country all the way to just outside the state’s capital city. President Donald Trump plans to visit on Friday.… Continue Reading

Harrowing stories of rescue emerge from Texas floods as crews search for over 160 reported missing

Harrowing stories of rescue emerge from Texas floods as crews search for over 160 reported missing

HUNT, Texas (AP) — Texas police described some of the harrowing rescues they conducted after flash floods engulfed camps and homes in the state’s Hill Country. An officer who was trapped himself spotted dozens of people stranded on roofs and waded out to bring them to safety. That’s according to a fellow officer who spoke Wednesday to a news conference. Another off-duty officer tied a garden hose around his waist so he could reach two people clinging to a tree above swirling floodwaters. More than 160 people still are believed to be missing and at least 118 have died in the floods. The floods are now the deadliest from inland flooding in the U.S. since 1976.… Continue Reading

More than 160 people are still missing after deadly Texas floods, governor says

More than 160 people are still missing after deadly Texas floods, governor says

HUNT, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says more than 160 people are believed to be still missing days after flash floods killed more than 100 people across central Texas. Abbott says many of those who are not accounted for were staying in the state’s Hill Country but did not register at a camp or hotel. The big jump in the number of missing came after authorities set up a hotline for families to call. Abbott says search crews will not stop working until everyone is located. He says the 161 missing were believed to be in Kerr County. That’s where most of the victims have been recovered.… Continue Reading

3 potential storm deaths in North Carolina after Chantal, officials say

3 potential storm deaths in North Carolina after Chantal, officials say

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Officials in North Carolina say there were three potential storm-related deaths amid flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal. North Carolina Emergency Management spokesperson Justin Graney says state health officials are working on confirmation of the deaths in Chatham, Orange and Alamance counties. During a visit to Mebane in Alamance County on Tuesday, Gov. Josh Stein said the storm destroyed homes and impaired businesses and lives were lost. He says officials are still assessing the scale of the damage and working on a final number of deaths. Officials say crews are working to restore power, utilities and road access.… Continue Reading

Hope of finding Texas flood survivors dims as search efforts go on

Hope of finding Texas flood survivors dims as search efforts go on

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Hope of finding survivors of the catastrophic flooding in Texas is dimming a day after the death toll surpassed 100. But crews have kept up the search for people missing in the aftermath. The search efforts benefited Tuesday from improving weather. The storms that battered the Hill Country for the past four days began to lighten up, although isolated pockets of heavy rain were still possible. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott planned to make another visit Tuesday to Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counselors died during the flash floods. Officials said Monday that 10 campers and one counselor have still not been found.… Continue Reading

Death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpasses 100

Death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpasses 100

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend has surpassed 100 as the massive search continues for missing people. In hard-hit Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, Kerr County officials said. Meanwhile, search-and-rescue teams carried on with the search for the dead, using heavy equipment to untangle trees and wading into swollen rivers. Volunteers covered in mud sorted through chunks of debris, piece by piece, in an increasingly bleak task.… Continue Reading

Death toll in central Texas flash floods rises to 82 as sheriff says 10 campers remain missing

Death toll in central Texas flash floods rises to 82 as sheriff says 10 campers remain missing

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — The death toll from flash floods that raged through central Texas has risen to 82 after searchers found more bodies. Authorities say many more remain missing, including 10 girls from Camp Mystic, a summer camp wiped out by the flooding early Friday. Searchers now have found 68 bodies in Kerr County where a wall of water came down the Guadalupe River. Sheriff Larry Leitha says the dead include 28 children. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned Sunday that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding. Some families were allowed to look around the hardest hit camp in the Hill Country on Sunday while nearby crews continued their search.… Continue Reading

Floods turned beloved Texas camp into a nightmare. At least 27 girls remain missing

Floods turned beloved Texas camp into a nightmare. At least 27 girls remain missing

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Texas parents are frantically posting photos of their daughters and pleas for information as at least 27 campers from an all-girls summer camp remain missing after floods tore through the state’s south-central region. At least 43 people were dead Friday and dozens missing after months worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours on Texas Hill Country, the local sheriff said. The region is dotted with century-old summer camps that draw thousands of kids annually. State officials said 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian camp along the Guadalupe River, still were unaccounted for Friday evening. Search teams were working to conduct helicopter and boat rescues.… Continue Reading

Interstate 40 in the Smoky Mountains reopens faster than expected after rock slide and flooding

Interstate 40 in the Smoky Mountains reopens faster than expected after rock slide and flooding

HARTFORD, Tenn. (AP) — Crews have reopened a section of Interstate 40 along its narrow corridor through the Great Smoky Mountains after flooding and a rock slide closed the major cross country highway for nine days. Officials initially expected I-40 in far eastern Tennessee to remain closed until July 3, but crews sped along the work and the highway reopened on Friday with one lane in each direction. I-40 is already undergoing major repairs from massive damage and washouts during Hurricane Helene last fall. The damaged section is part of 12 miles in North Carolina and Tennessee that were washed away or heavily damaged by flooding that roared through the Pigeon River gorge.… Continue Reading

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