Trump, Abbott lead roundtable about local, state, federal response to Texas floods
President Donald Trump and the first lady visited the site of the devastating flash floods Friday afternoon that occurred in Central Texas on July 4 to observe the damage and meet some of the affected families.
Trump also held a roundtable with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, other government officials and lawmakers, first responders and local officials in Kerrville, Texas, which experienced some of the worst of the natural disaster.
“The First Lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation in the aftermath of this really horrific and deadly flood,” Trump said.
First Lady Melania Trump said she and the president prayed, hugged and held hands with some of the families who lost loved ones.
The flood in Texas Hill Country is one of its deadliest on record, according to reports, leaving 121 confirmed dead and about 170 still missing. Heavy rainfall began on July 2, according to a disaster proclamation from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Rainfall across the state ranged from five to 15 inches, even exceeding 18 inches in some parts, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In Central Texas, the deluge caused the Guadalupe River to overflow its banks and surge into surrounding communities.
Abbott has included 21 counties in his disaster proclamation, and at least nine have been approved for federal disaster assistance thus far.
“Your immediate declaration for individual assistance and public assistance will help us rebuild and recover,” Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told Abbott Friday.
Turning to Trump, Kidd also described the massive response from across the country, from volunteers and the state government.
“We’ve had over 2,200 state agency response personnel assisting our local government partners. Mr. President, here’s a staggering number. Over 12,300 volunteers have shown up here out of love to support this community,” Kidd said. “Nineteen other states have sent resources to us.”
Many questions have been raised about the preparation and resources that were in place in Kerrville and Kerr County beforehand, as well as the state and federal government’s response. Kerrville does not have a weather siren system, according to reports, though the area is prone to floods.