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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Trump's Texas visit highlights an us-vs-them approach to disasters
FILE PHOTO: A drone picture shows damage in Camp Mystic, following flooding on the Guadalupe River, in Hunt, Texas, U.S. July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Evan Garcia/File Photo WASHINGTON - In the days since flash flooding killed at least 120 people in Texas, President Donald Trump has pledged unwavering support for the deep-red state, lauding Republican Governor Greg Abbott and other local officials for their "incredible" response to the July 4 disaster. That praise, which Trump is likely to repeat during his visit to the flood-ravaged Texas Hill Country on Friday, is a far cry from Trump's harsh criticism of elected Democrats in California when wildfires devastated Los Angeles in January. While the fires were burning, he accused Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of 'gross incompetence.' Months later, left-leaning California is seeking more federal dollars to help recover from the catastrophe. The Republican-led Congress has yet to release $40 billion in federal disaster recovery aid that Newsom requested in February. That said, the Trump administration has given disaster survivors more than $2 billion in FEMA grants and federal loan assistance and paid $2 billion for debris clearance. During his time as president, as well as when he was a candidate, Trump has cast disaster response in us-versus-them terms more often than any other president in recent times, highlighting his allies' efforts while criticizing opponents, experts say. 'Trump is unusually political,' said Claire Rubin, an independent researcher and consultant in emergency management. 'The contrast in treatment in California and Texas might be the most glaring example of how these events are politicized." In response to such criticism, the White House said Trump treats all states the same regardless of political leanings. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Nuclear safety research gets boost with new institute, $66m funding as S'pore weighs energy viability Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops Business OCBC CEO Helen Wong to retire on Dec 31; Tan Teck Long named successor Singapore S'porean who defaulted on NS obligations used fake Malaysian passports at checkpoints over 800 times Singapore Over 150 e-bikes and other non-compliant mobility devices impounded in last 2 months: LTA Business CEO salaries: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and whose saw a drop? 'President Trump has led historic disaster recovery efforts in both California and North Carolina – he's doing the same in Texas," said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. "Any claim that the president is giving certain states preferential treatment is not only wrong, it's idiotic and misinformed." After torrential rains on Friday, floodwaters in the Texas Hill Country have killed at least 120 people, including 36 children in Kerr County, while 170 people are missing. The Trump administration has rushed to help, while rebuffing suggestions that budget cuts to the national weather warning system and the Federal Emergency Management Agency may have made a bad situation worse. When the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, called for an investigation into whether staffing levels at the National Weather Service played a role in the disaster, the White House accused Democrats of politicizing the tragedy. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said assigning any blame to Trump would be "depraved." "The response has been incredible,' Trump said at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. 'And the fact that we got along so well. I don't even think that's a political thing, but we got along so well and it was so unified." Trump has not always sought unity. In January, he called California's Democratic officials 'incompetent pols' who 'have no idea' how to put out the fires. Local officials disputed Trump's claims that Newsom refused to provide water from the northern part of the state to fight the fires. Some hydrants in the Los Angeles area ran dry during the wildfires, but local officials said that was because they were not designed to deal with such a massive disaster. TEXAS TO GET 'ANYTHING' IT NEEDS Days after the flood, Trump signed a disaster aid declaration for the state. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said Trump told him in a phone call that his state would get 'anything' it needs. It is too early to know how much federal assistance will eventually go to Texas. In September, when Hurricane Helene battered the U.S. Southeast – including the political battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia – Trump was weeks away from facing Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in what polls were showing to be a close election. During a visit to storm-damaged Valdosta, Georgia – a state led by Republican Governor Brian Kemp – Trump suggested that Democratic President Joe Biden had been unresponsive to the hurricane's destruction, saying that Kemp 'was having a hard time' getting Biden on the phone. Kemp told reporters that Biden had called him the evening before and the governor said he was grateful for the federal assistance Biden had offered. While Trump was effusive in his praise for Kemp, he claimed the Biden administration's response to the disaster had been 'terrible.' Trump also alleged that federal relief money was being used to house migrants living in the U.S. illegally. He also accused North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, of blocking relief money to the Republican areas of the state. While Trump made those remarks in the heat of a presidential campaign, he was similarly hostile toward the government of Democratic-leaning Puerto Rico after a hurricane in 2017 wiped out power on the island and killed nearly 3,000 people. Trump, who was then in his first term as president, repeatedly clashed with local officials, blaming them for the slow recovery and claiming they were overly reliant on federal aid. 'They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort,' Trump said at the time. Trump's conduct stands in contrast with that of former presidents, said North Carolina State University political scientist Thomas Birkland. Barack Obama, a Democrat, famously toured the damage from Super Storm Sandy in 2012 alongside Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey. Christie praised Obama's handling of the disaster, which earned him scorn from his fellow Republicans. Daniel Aldrich, who studies disasters and their aftermath at Northeastern University, said establishing trust between disaster victims and the government is key to recovery. Criticism and misinformation, he said, undermine that trust, and could result in victims spurning government aid or a drop in private donations to relief groups. 'Trust is the engine of mitigation and trust is the engine of recovery,' Aldrich said. 'Every time a sitting president or governor or mayor undermines trust in each other or in the government, we are damaging the nation's ability to be resilient.' REUTERS
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Climate
- Japan Today
Crews comb flood-stricken central Texas for missing people
FILE PHOTO: A drone picture shows damage in Camp Mystic, following flooding on the Guadalupe River, in Hunt, Texas, U.S. July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Evan Garcia/File Photo By Jane Ross Search teams persisted in sifting through mounds of debris in Texas Hill Country on Wednesday as hopes of finding more survivors dimmed five days after flash floods tore through the region, killing at least 119 people, including many children. As of Tuesday evening, there were more than 170 people still unaccounted for, according to figures provided by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Searchers have not found anyone alive since Friday. Most of the fatalities and missing people were in Kerr County. The county seat, Kerrville, was devastated when torrential rains lashed the area early on Friday, July 4, dropping more than a foot of rain in less than an hour and swelling the Guadalupe River to a height of nearly 30 feet (9 meters). The death toll in Kerr County was 95 as of Wednesday morning, Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters at a briefing, including three dozen children. That figure includes at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe. Authorities have warned that the death toll will likely keep rising as floodwaters recede. Elsewhere on Tuesday, three people died in New Mexico, two of them young children, when a flash flood swept through the village of Ruidoso in mountains around 135 miles (217 km) southeast of Albuquerque, the state's largest city. The flooding was sparked by heavy rain that fell on wildfire burn scars, causing a rapid runoff of water that saw the Rio Ruidoso River rise to a record 20 feet, five feet higher than its previous historical high, the village said in a statement. Scientists say climate change has made extreme flood events more frequent and damaging by creating warmer, wetter weather patterns. Public officials in Texas have faced days of questions about whether they could have warned people sooner, giving them time to move to higher ground ahead of the raging floodwaters. At Wednesday's briefing, the sheriff was again pressed to address questions about how long it took for officials to respond to "Code Red" alerts about the flash flooding during the early hours of July 4. He declined to respond directly, saying his focus was on finding the missing victims and that a full analysis of what went wrong with the response would come later. "We will answer those questions," he said. "I can't tell you when - a week or two, okay? We're going to get to them. We're not trying to deflect them." Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice has said the amount of rainfall exceeded predictions and fell so fast that there was not enough time to order evacuations without further endangering people. Abbott said on Tuesday that the Texas legislature would convene a special session later this month to investigate the emergency response and provide funding for disaster relief. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Crews comb flood-stricken central Texas for missing people
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: A drone picture shows damage in Camp Mystic, following flooding on the Guadalupe River, in Hunt, Texas, U.S. July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Evan Garcia/File Photo KERRVILLE, Texas - Search teams persisted in sifting through mounds of debris in Texas Hill Country on Wednesday as hopes of finding more survivors dimmed five days after flash floods tore through the region, killing at least 119 people, including many children. As of Tuesday evening, there were more than 170 people still unaccounted for, according to figures provided by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Searchers have not found anyone alive since Friday. Most of the fatalities and missing people were in Kerr County. The county seat, Kerrville, was devastated when torrential rains lashed the area early on Friday, July 4, dropping more than a foot of rain in less than an hour and swelling the Guadalupe River to a height of nearly 30 feet (9 meters). The death toll in Kerr County was 95 as of Wednesday morning, Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters at a briefing, including three dozen children. That figure includes at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe. Authorities have warned that the death toll will likely keep rising as floodwaters recede. Elsewhere on Tuesday, three people died in New Mexico, two of them young children, when a flash flood swept through the village of Ruidoso in mountains around 135 miles (217 km) southeast of Albuquerque, the state's largest city. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Tremendous opportunities for growth in US-Singapore ties, says Trump's ambassador nominee Sinha Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700 Singapore COE prices rise for all categories Singapore Govt watching job situation for fresh graduates closely, exploring further support: Gan Siow Huang Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student Singapore People working in air-conditioned spaces prefer 24 deg C and warmer: Survey The flooding was sparked by heavy rain that fell on wildfire burn scars, causing a rapid runoff of water that saw the Rio Ruidoso River rise to a record 20 feet, five feet higher than its previous historical high, the village said in a statement. Scientists say climate change has made extreme flood events more frequent and damaging by creating warmer, wetter weather patterns. Public officials in Texas have faced days of questions about whether they could have warned people sooner, giving them time to move to higher ground ahead of the raging floodwaters. At Wednesday's briefing, the sheriff was again pressed to address questions about how long it took for officials to respond to "Code Red" alerts about the flash flooding during the early hours of July 4. He declined to respond directly, saying his focus was on finding the missing victims and that a full analysis of what went wrong with the response would come later. "We will answer those questions," he said. "I can't tell you when - a week or two, okay? We're going to get to them. We're not trying to deflect them." Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice has said the amount of rainfall exceeded predictions and fell so fast that there was not enough time to order evacuations without further endangering people. Abbott said on Tuesday that the Texas legislature would convene a special session later this month to investigate the emergency response and provide funding for disaster relief. REUTERS
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
Crews search for dozens missing after Texas floods
A drone picture shows damage in Camp Mystic, following flooding on the Guadalupe River, in Hunt, Texas, July 6, 2025. REUTERS/ Evan Garcia KERRVILLE, Texas — Search teams persisted in sifting through debris in Texas Hill Country on Wednesday as hopes of finding more survivors dimmed five days after flash floods tore through the region, killing at least 110 people, including many children. As of Tuesday evening, there were more than 170 people still unaccounted for, according to figures provided by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Searchers have not found anyone alive since Friday. Most of the fatalities and missing people were in Kerr County, where the county seat, Kerrville, was devastated when torrential rains lashed the area early on Friday, July 4, causing the Guadalupe River to rise to nearly 30 feet in a matter of hours. The death toll in Kerr was at 95 as of Wednesday morning, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters at a briefing, including three dozen children. That figure includes at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe. Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks to the media at a press conference in the aftermath of deadly flooding in Hunt, Texas, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/ Sergio Flores Authorities have warned that the death toll will likely keep rising as floodwaters recede and search teams uncover more victims. Public officials have faced days of questions about whether they could have alerted people in flood-prone areas sooner. — Reuters
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Straits Times
Crews search for dozens missing after Texas floods
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: A drone picture shows damage in Camp Mystic, following flooding on the Guadalupe River, in Hunt, Texas, U.S. July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Evan Garcia/File Photo KERRVILLE, Texas - Search teams persisted in sifting through debris in Texas Hill Country on Wednesday as hopes of finding more survivors dimmed five days after flash floods tore through the region, killing at least 110 people, including many children. As of Tuesday evening, there were more than 170 people still unaccounted for, according to figures provided by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Searchers have not found anyone alive since Friday. Most of the fatalities and missing people were in Kerr County, where the county seat, Kerrville, was devastated when torrential rains lashed the area early on Friday, July 4, causing the Guadalupe River to rise to nearly 30 feet in a matter of hours. The death toll in Kerr was at 95 as of Wednesday morning, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters at a briefing, including three dozen children. That figure includes at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe. Authorities have warned that the death toll will likely keep rising as floodwaters recede and search teams uncover more victims. Public officials have faced days of questions about whether they could have alerted people in flood-prone areas sooner. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Tremendous opportunities for growth in US-Singapore ties, says Trump's ambassador nominee Sinha Singapore Singapore to hire more than 1,000 new educators annually in the next few years, up from 700 Singapore COE prices rise for all categories Singapore Govt watching job situation for fresh graduates closely, exploring further support: Gan Siow Huang Singapore Man who killed cats by throwing them off HDB blocks has jail term doubled to 27 months Singapore $43k fine for undischarged bankrupt doctor who failed to disclose assets worth over $4m Singapore Female primary school teacher charged over alleged sex acts with underage male student Singapore People working in air-conditioned spaces prefer 24 deg C and warmer: Survey
