President Donald Trump on Sunday mentioned he’ll go to the location of the devastating Texas flash floods “in all probability on Friday” because the deluge has prompted scrutiny of the cuts his administration has made to key authorities businesses that would have performed a job within the response to the tragedy.
The excessive demise toll has led to questions concerning the state’s preparedness in addition to the administration’s cuts to the Nationwide Climate Service the place the lack of skilled staffers could have damage its response and coordination with native officers on the flash floods, according to The New York Times.
Chatting with reporters in New Jersey forward of boarding Air Power One, Trump, who spent his day {golfing}, disputed the suggestion that the cuts had an impact.
“No, no they didn’t,” Trump mentioned, talking alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“I might simply say this can be a hundred-year disaster and it’s simply so horrible to observe,” he continued.
Requested if he plans to go to the state, Trump replied: “Most likely on Friday. We needed to depart just a little time. I might have achieved it right this moment, however we’d simply be of their manner.”
Trump later hedged when requested if he would assist hiring again among the meteorologists that have been fired over the previous few months.
“I wouldn’t know that,” he mentioned. “I might assume not. This was the factor that occurred in seconds. No person anticipated it.”
Over the weekend, Trump signed a serious catastrophe declaration to “make sure that our Courageous First Responders instantly have the sources they want.”
“These households are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives misplaced, and lots of nonetheless lacking,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Trump Administration continues to work carefully with State and Native Leaders.”
The flash floods that began early Friday have killed a minimum of 82 folks, together with 28 youngsters in Kerr County, native officers mentioned. The demise toll is anticipated to rise as authorities proceed to seek for these lacking. Camp Mystic, which is positioned in Kerr County, on Monday confirmed 27 of its counselors and campers died within the floods. It’s unclear if all of those folks have been already accounted for within the figures beforehand offered by the state.
