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Trump sending federal resources to Texas after deadly flash flooding

Trump sending federal resources to Texas after deadly flash flooding
Washington News Bureau logo
Updated: 9:15 AM CDT Jul 6, 2025
Editorial Standards
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Trump sending federal resources to Texas after deadly flash flooding
Washington News Bureau logo
Updated: 9:15 AM CDT Jul 6, 2025
Editorial Standards
The Trump administration is deploying federal resources to Texas in response to flash floods that have killed at least 51 people.Rescue crews are still looking for survivors, including 27 girls who have not been seen since their summer camp was swept away by fast-moving water overnight on Friday.Trump posted on social media Saturday, "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!"Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem activated the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Coast Guard to assist state and local officials. In a post Saturday afternoon, Noem said the Coast Guard "has saved or assisted in saving 223 lives."As rescue efforts ramped up over the weekend, officials also faced questions about when people were warned about the flood risk and whether more could have been done to get residents and campers out of harm's way sooner. Noem said the storm was slow-moving and unleashed more rain than originally expected. She added that the Trump administration is working to upgrade National Weather Service technology to issue alerts sooner in the future. "We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long to make sure the families have as much advanced notice as possible," Noem said at a press conference Saturday.Noem said the local National Weather Service office issued an initial flood watch at 1:18 p.m. local time on Thursday. The office heightened the threat level in subsequent warnings, telling people to evacuate in the early morning hours on Friday. At 4:03 a.m., the office issued an urgent warning that raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life. Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, said in an email that local offices serving central Texas "had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm."Fahy said the floods underscore the importance of these offices as the Trump administration's sweeping cuts at the agency have widened staffing gaps. Fahy said there continue to be concerns about vacancies in other parts of the country. Asked about those concerns last month, the administration said NWS “continues to meet its core mission of providing life-saving forecasts, warnings, and decision support services to the public, our partners and stakeholders.”

The Trump administration is deploying federal resources to Texas in response to flash floods that have killed at least 51 people.

Rescue crews are still looking for survivors, including 27 girls who have not been seen since their summer camp was swept away by fast-moving water overnight on Friday.

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Trump posted on social media Saturday, "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!"

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem activated the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Coast Guard to assist state and local officials. In a post Saturday afternoon, Noem said the Coast Guard "has saved or assisted in saving 223 lives."

As rescue efforts ramped up over the weekend, officials also faced questions about when people were warned about the flood risk and whether more could have been done to get residents and campers out of harm's way sooner.

Noem said the storm was slow-moving and unleashed more rain than originally expected. She added that the Trump administration is working to upgrade National Weather Service technology to issue alerts sooner in the future.

"We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long to make sure the families have as much advanced notice as possible," Noem said at a press conference Saturday.

Noem said the local National Weather Service office issued an initial flood watch at 1:18 p.m. local time on Thursday. The office heightened the threat level in subsequent warnings, telling people to evacuate in the early morning hours on Friday. At 4:03 a.m., the office issued an urgent warning that raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life.

Tom Fahy, legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, said in an email that local offices serving central Texas "had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm."

Fahy said the floods underscore the importance of these offices as the Trump administration's sweeping cuts at the agency have widened staffing gaps. Fahy said there continue to be concerns about vacancies in other parts of the country.

Asked about those concerns last month, the administration said NWS “continues to meet its core mission of providing life-saving forecasts, warnings, and decision support services to the public, our partners and stakeholders.”