Trump tours flood-hit Texas, praises response

President Donald Trump visited Texas on Friday to see the damage caused by the deadly flash floods that hit the Hill Country region on July 4. The disaster killed at least 120 people, including dozens of children.

While in Kerr County, the area hardest hit by the floods, President Trump joined a roundtable meeting and toured damaged areas with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. He praised their efforts, calling their response “incredible.”

The flooding happened after heavy rains early on Independence Day, catching many people by surprise. Some are now questioning if local, state, and federal authorities acted fast enough to warn residents.

When asked by a reporter about the delayed alerts and complaints from affected families, President Trump said, “Everyone did an incredible job under very challenging conditions.” Looking frustrated, he added, “Only a very evil person would ask a question like that.”

Some critics have blamed earlier budget cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) and FEMA for weakening the federal response. But administration officials said these changes did not affect the agencies’ ability to forecast or handle the storm. They admitted, however, there were staffing shortages in certain local offices.

When a reporter asked about future plans to restructure FEMA and give more disaster management responsibilities to state governments, President Trump replied, “I’ll tell you some other time.”

In Kerr County, there is also frustration about the lack of an early-warning system, which local officials said they couldn’t afford because of limited state funding. Lawrence Walker, a 67-year-old Kerrville resident, said, “They’ve done well since the river was already 8 feet high — but by then, it was too late.”

The Texas legislature will hold a special session later this month to look into how the disaster was handled and decide on more relief funds. Governor Abbott dismissed any calls for blame, saying, “That kind of finger-pointing is the language of losers.”

Ongoing Search and Recovery

Rescue teams are still searching along the Guadalupe River. So far, no new survivors have been found, but officials remain hopeful. The floodwaters rose dramatically—from one foot to over 34 feet in just a few hours—washing away homes, camps, and bridges.

Kerr County is part of “Flash Flood Alley,” an area known for dangerous floods. On July 4, over 12 inches of rain fell in under an hour, making this the deadliest natural disaster during Trump’s current term in office.

Officials say more than 160 people are still missing. Among the confirmed deaths are 67 adults and at least 36 children, many of whom were staying at Camp Mystic, a historic Christian summer camp for girls near the river.

President Trump, joined by First Lady Melania Trump and Governor Abbott, toured the worst-hit areas and spoke with emergency workers. Locals had mixed reactions to the response. Some praised the quick federal action, while others said more should have been done earlier.

Jon Moreno, a Kerrville resident whose home was safe on higher ground, said, “People want to live close to the river, but there’s always a risk. Government did its best, but the nature of these floods is unpredictable.”

At a local gas station, a protest message painted on the wall read, “Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Cut Our Emergency Funding.” This referred to a spending package that included tax cuts and reduced federal funds, which President Trump had signed on the same day the floods struck.

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