Trump 'Heartbroken' Over Texas Flooding as Federal Aid Pledged
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Dozens of people have died in devastating flash floods that struck central Texas's Hill Country, including 15 children, with 27 girls from Camp Mystic still missing after floodwaters destroyed the Christian summer camp.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a press conference on Saturday to announce comprehensive federal disaster response, conveying that President Donald Trump is "absolutely heartbroken by what has happened here in Texas, and the loss of life is absolutely devastating to him and Melania."
The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles in what officials are calling a once-in-a-century flood.
Why It Matters
Months' worth of rainfall fell within just a few hours in Texas' Hill Country on Friday, overwhelming riverfront communities and forcing emergency teams to evacuate children's summer camps threatened by rising water.
In central Kerr County, up to 10 inches of rain inundated the area overnight, causing the Guadalupe River to swell rapidly and overflow its banks, sparking widespread flash flooding.
The flooded area lies about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.
The flooding has exposed the vulnerability of Texas to extreme weather events and raised urgent questions about warning systems and disaster preparedness for communities and summer camps.
A jogger takes a detour around a flooded running path in Louise Hays Park, along the banks of the Guadalupe River, Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
A jogger takes a detour around a flooded running path in Louise Hays Park, along the banks of the Guadalupe River, Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez
What To Know
More than 850 people have been rescued in the last 36 hours, with search crews using helicopters, boats, and drones to locate victims and rescue people stranded in trees and isolated camps.
Beyond Kerr County's devastating toll, six additional people died in nearby counties, including three in Travis County where several others remain missing, and a firefighter who was swept away while responding to a rescue call.
During Saturday's joint press conference, Noem confirmed that Trump has already committed to honoring Abbott's federal disaster declaration request, ensuring rapid deployment of federal resources.
She emphasized that Trump spoke with her multiple times Saturday morning, wanting to ensure Texans know "how much he loves Texas, how much he's grieving for your families that have lost someone and the beautiful children that we're still looking for and hoping to return to their families."
Gov. Abbott expanded the state's disaster declaration to include additional counties and declared Sunday, July 6th, as a Day of Prayer for flood victims. The governor vowed that authorities would "work around the clock to rescue and recover victims" and promised to search new areas as floodwaters recede. Federal approval of the disaster declaration enables deployment of emergency management personnel, funding for debris removal, and assistance for displaced families.
Coast Guard helicopters and planes are assisting to ensure search operations can continue even in darkness. The flooding caught many residents and campers by surprise despite warnings from AccuWeather and the National Weather Service (NWS) about potential flash flooding hours beforehand. Officials defended their response while acknowledging they hadn't expected such intense rainfall equivalent to months of precipitation in the region.
Declared this Sunday, July 6th, as a Day of Prayer in Texas in response to the floods in the Hill Country.
I invite Texans to join me in prayer for the communities affected by this disaster. pic.twitter.com/vHWt1CQPzW — Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 6, 2025
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump's Truth Social message on Saturday: "The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday. Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly. Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!"
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during Saturday's press conference: "I want to thank Governor Abbott for his leadership and know that President Trump is absolutely heartbroken by what has happened here in Texas, and the loss of life is absolutely devastating to him and Melania. This morning, I talked with him several times, and he wanted to make sure that all of you know how much he loves Texas, how much he's grieving for your families that have lost someone and the beautiful children that we're still looking for and hoping to return to their families."
She added: "And that he is absolutely committed to using all the resources of the federal government to help unify families, rescue all those that we're still missing, and return those who maybe we will recover back to their families as soon as possible. And that we will be here walking alongside each other and helping throughout this entire crisis."
Dalton Rice, Kerrville city manager, said on Saturday: "The unknown is how many people were here locally that we don't have numbers for. Numbers are going to change."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote on X: "Tonight, I signed a disaster declaration to ensure local officials have the resources to continue to respond to floods in the Hill Country. Texas will stop at nothing to ensure every missing person is fully accounted for."
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said during a news conference on Friday night: "I'm asking the people of Texas, do some serious praying this afternoon—on your knees kind of praying—that we find these young girls and that they're only unaccounted for because they're somewhere that we don't know yet but that they're alive and safe."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs and holds up an disaster declaration proclamation as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, left, looks on during a press conference about recent flooding along the Guadalupe River, Saturday, July 5,...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs and holds up an disaster declaration proclamation as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, left, looks on during a press conference about recent flooding along the Guadalupe River, Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez) More
AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez
What Happens Next
Search and rescue operations continue around the clock as torrential rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday with flash flood warnings and watches remaining in effect.
Federal disaster declaration approval accelerates deployment of additional emergency resources and funding. Long-term recovery efforts will focus on rebuilding infrastructure and evaluating flood preparedness measures for the historically flood-prone region.
The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country continues collecting donations for affected families and communities facing extensive property damage and displacement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
26 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Fmr. FEMA Administrator Criswell on Texas Floods, Trump
Former FEMA Administrator, Deanne Criswell, weighs in on the Texas flash floods that killed at least 90 people over the weekend, and shares her insight on how the continued rainfall will make rescue operations more difficult. Criswell also voices her thoughts on President Trump's claim that FEMA isn't good and the challenges FEMA and states face during extreme weather events. She speaks with Kailey Leinz and Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg's 'Balance of Power.' (Source: Bloomberg)
an hour ago
'30-foot wall of water': Survivors of Texas flooding speak out
The night that devastating flooding obliterated parts of Texas, Stuart Gross said he was awakened by nearby screams as raging waters swept up homes and citizens. The Ingram, Texas, resident told ABC News he has lived near the Guadalupe River for more than 45 years and has seen other floods, but "this was the biggest." "We had a 30-foot wall of water, 300 yards wide, go down by my house at 85 miles an hour," Gross said of the flooding that began in the early hours of Friday. Gross, who was able to get his wife and "fur babies" to safety, said he does not think this tragedy was preventable, but said he doesn't know "why we don't have an early warning system on this river, not that it would've changed everything." Many people like Gross are now surveying the aftermath of the devastating floods, searching for missing family members or grieving the loss of loved ones. Another survivor, Carlos Valles, began to assess the damage in Louis Hays Park, where he was preparing his production team for a Fourth of July music festival. The area of the festival, which has been going on for more than 20 years, is now surrounded by torn-down trees, mangled metal and flipped-over forklifts and cars. Valles began to cry as he evaluated what had happened. "Water rose so quick, you couldn't do anything about it," Valles told ABC News. Regardless of the damage, Valles said the "biggest thing" is the 94 lives that were lost in the floods, which includes young campers at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp housing hundreds of young girls. "Our stages, stuff can be replaced with time, but lives cannot, you cannot bring all these children back," Valles said. Devon Williams, one of the surviving camp counselors at Camp Mystic, told "Good Morning America" that prior to the floods, "it was just a normal day" and "nobody had any idea what was going to happen." Williams said the counselors had "no idea" people were missing or how grave the situation was "until we saw the helicopters flying over us." As of Monday, 10 girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic are still unaccounted for, according to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. William said the tragedy feels "surreal" and "not real." "I cry a lot. I try not to think about it. These are babies that were lost. It's just a lot, like I really can't even put it into words. It's a lot to process," Williams said. Rev. Jasiel Hernandez Garcia, who was in charge of receiving survivors from the camp at the reunification center, witnessed the children "being offloaded from the bus, missing shoes, having dirt all over them, being hungry, seeing their parents from a distance and their weeping out of joy," he said. A short distance away from Camp Mystic is Camp La Junta, a boys' camp, where everyone was able to get to safety. Katie Fineska, the owner and director of the camp, said she walked to her porch and saw "one of our tables from our dining hall floating across the field from our house," which is when she knew "something was very wrong." Fineska said the "incredibly calm" counselors had the children climb "from their bunks up into the rafters" to keep them safe. Someone else who was able to survive the deadly floods is Devyn Smith, who was swept away by the waters when she was camping with her family, but was able to climb to safety in a tree, according to her uncle, Travis Reynolds, and Carl Jeter, the Coast Guard who rescued Smith. Smith was allegedly in the river for about four hours before grabbing hold of a tree, where she dodged RVs, tree limbs and even a refrigerator floating beside her, Jeter said. Jeter said he was across the street on his deck when he heard Smith screaming for help. Reynolds said that his niece has cuts and bruises all over her entire body, but should be released from the hospital soon pending blood work. Regardless, he said the trauma of this experience will weigh "heavily on her and the rest of our family." Reynolds said five other members of his family remain missing.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Deadly Texas floods leave officials pointing fingers after warnings missed
AUSTIN, Texas — Local, state and federal officials are all pointing fingers in the wake of the deadly Texas flooding, but one thing is certain: The warnings weren't heard by the people who needed them. After the catastrophic Independence Day floods that killed at least 90 across Central Texas, state and county officials told reporters that the storm had come without warning. But a wide array of meteorologists — and the Trump administration itself — has argued that those officials, as well as local residents, received a long train of advisories that a dangerous flood was gathering. The timeline of the floods on Friday, experts say, revealed a deadly gap in the 'last mile' system that turns those forecasts into life-saving action. That issue is particularly pronounced in Central Texas, where cell phones go off with National Weather Service (NWS) flash flood advisories practically every time there is a thunderstorm — and where limestone canyons split by countless creeks and punctuated by riverside campgrounds and vacation homes are particularly vulnerable to sudden flood. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) timeline released over the weekend showed a drumbeat of steadily increasing warnings — something that is characteristic of flash floods, said John Sokich, former legislative director of the NWS staffers union. Whether a specific neighborhood or camp floods can come down to 'which creek basin the rainfall is going to fall, and 3 miles makes a complete difference,' Sokich said. So NWS forecasters, he said, put out region-wide warnings of potential flash floods, which they tighten as the danger develops. 'And then when it gets really bad, they put out the 'catastrophic flood levels,' messages, which is what they did for the situation in Texas.' 'The challenge there,' he added, 'was people receiving the information.' Meteorologists' warnings of potential flooding, which drew on NWS forecasts, began as early as Wednesday, when CBS Austin meteorologist Avery Tomasco warned that the dregs of Tropical Storm Barry had parked 'all this tropical fuel' over Central Texas. 'I hesitate to show you this because it's so outlandish,' Tomasco said, but the storm could produce 'five to 15 inches of rain somewhere in Central Texas. Again, I think that's pretty far-fetched, but you can't rule out something crazy happening when you have this kind of tropical air in place.' By sunset on the night before the floods, federal forecasters were warning that rainfall would 'quickly overwhelm' the baked-dry soil. By 1:14 a.m. local time, the NWS released the first direct flash flood warnings for Kerr County, which officials told The Texas Tribune should have triggered direct warnings to those in harm's way. Instead, beginning on the day of the flood, state and local officials insisted they had no idea the flood was coming. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said leaders 'had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what has happened here, none whatsoever.' They were echoed the following day by Nim Kidd, the state's top emergency management official, who told reporters that forecasts 'did not predict the amount of rain that we saw.' That quote 'baffled' meteorologist Ryan Maue, who on X blamed Kidd for setting off 'a furious news cycle in which the National Weather Service was blamed for the tragic events because a forecast 2 days prior wasn't as extreme.' On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said that 'something went wrong' when Camp Mystic and other sleepaway camps alongside the region's rivers didn't receive warnings of the oncoming waters. 'Next time there's a flood,' Cruz told a Kerr County press conference on Monday, 'I hope we have in place processes to remove the most vulnerable from harm's way. But that's going to be process that will take careful examination of what happened.' Some — like Sokich — argued that one possibility is that after rounds of staff reductions, NWS offices that may have had enough staff to issue accurate predictions didn't have the personnel for potentially life-saving outreach. 'If you don't have the full staff, then you can't do that,' he said. 'People are just focusing on issuing the watches and warnings.' Such outreach, UCLA meteorologist Daniel Swain wrote on X, is 'one of the first things to go away when offices are critically understaffed.' On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) told reporters that he would urge state lawmakers to focus on a better system of state warnings in the upcoming July special legislative session. One such system exists in other flood-prone basins, where gauges in a cresting river automatically send alerts to a network of river sirens, which sound alarms across the area. That's technology that Kerrville officials say they have needed for years. But locals 'reeled at the cost' of a county program, Kelly told PBS's 'Frontline,' and attempts to pay for it with state or federal funds failed. In 2018, during the first Trump administration, Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for about $1 million to build a flood warning system — and were denied, KXAN reported. This year, a bill that would have spent $500 million on a modern system of disaster warnings across the state passed the House but died in the Senate. One House member who voted against it, freshman state Rep. Wes Virdell (R), represents Kerr County. 'I can tell you in hindsight, watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now,' Virdell told The Texas Tribune on Sunday, adding that he had objected to the measure's price tag. In 2020, with no prospect for paying for such a system, the county joined FEMA's Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, which sends out cell phone alerts when floods threaten. One problem with the text-based flood warnings — and with warnings in general — is that 'people don't understand what a flash flood is,' said Keri Stephens, a University of Texas professor who studies disaster communication. Her research has shown that in Texas, 'a lot of people are completely unaware that they're even at risk for flash floods. 'They don't understand how they happen. They don't understand what it means to experience a 20-plus foot rise in water in a short period of time — because they can't imagine and visualize what that looks like,' Stephens said. No technology is good enough to keep people safe on its own, she added. Disaster warnings have to plug into accurate forecasting on one side and a clear course of action on the other — and they have to be believed. Stephens' research found that the ubiquitous warning aimed at keeping motorists from crossing flooded rivers — 'Turn around, don't drown' — doesn't work for young adults. 'They don't think it'll happen to them,' Stephens said. Her research found that a better message — for those who don't believe that a foot of water can wash away a car — was 'Stay High and Dry,' which emphasizes the danger not to the driver but to the car's undercarriage. In a rural area, those disaster notifications can often be handled individually: a county emergency manager working the phones, or a campground texting its visitors, which can make the question of whether they go out in time dangerously arbitrary. Amanda Sue Jones, a woman camping beside the Guadalupe with her family, wrote on Facebook that she had received NWS notifications all night — but that only after it was clear from the rising water that they had to 'GTFO' did she receive a text from the campground telling her to seek higher ground. By then, Jones told CNN, it was too late for many. Her family took shelter at restrooms, where they met a man whose camper — with his family inside — had washed away in the time it took to go the bathroom. 'In those few moments, the waters just overtook that area where his family was,' Jones said. 'It was just so fast. It was unreal.' Sirens or not, a small rural county won't be able to make sure every camper heads for high ground in time, said Chad Berginnis, the head of the American Association of Floodplain Managers — making it incumbent on individuals and businesses to have their own evacuation plan. Even in areas without cell phone service — which is spotty across much of the Hill Country — Berginnis said there's a low-tech solution to situations like that one, Berginnis said: weather radios. 'If you're at a campground, your plan could say, 'Hey, if we have a, if we have a weather situation, then we'll have staff awake and monitoring the weather.' You don't have to invest in huge amounts of technology.' The crucial thing, Berginnis said, is that those systems have to be in place before 'flood amnesia' sets in. In 30 years of floodplain management, he said, he's learned that it only takes 'a couple years [before] people have forgotten the lessons and moved on.' 'I think we have a responsibility to those who lost their lives that we study this, understand and learn from it,' he added.
