'This is a bad one': Trump surveys wreckage left by devastating floods in Texas
by Press Association, https://www.thejournal.ie/author/press-association/ · TheJournal.ieUS PRESIDENT DONALD Trump touched down in Texas today to assess the devastation from the state’s catastrophic flooding last week.
Trump and his wife Melania met with first responders and surveyed the wreckage left by the surging waters.
At least 120 people died and more than 170 people are still missing in Texas following devastating floors on 4 July.
“This is a tough one. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Trump said at a roundtable meeting in Kerrville, in the worst-affected Kerr County.
“I’ve gone to a lot of hurricanes, a lot of tornadoes. I’ve never seen anything like this. This is a bad one.”
Trump lashed out at reporters for questioning authorities’ response to the disaster and said he wanted to focus on solidarity with emergency workers and volunteers.
“All across the country, Americans’ hearts are shattered,” said Trump, speaking at a table draped in a black banner with the message “Texas Strong.”
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“I had to be here as president. The first lady wanted to be here.”
He compared the suddenly rising floodwaters to a “giant wave in the Pacific Ocean that the best surfers in the world would be afraid to surf.”
Sine the flooding, Trump has remained quiet about his plans to do away with the federal agency in charge of disaster relief, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and return disaster response to the states.
He approved Texas’s request to extend the major disaster declaration beyond the county impacted today, making them eligible for direct financial assistance to recover and rebuild.
Air Force One landed in San Antonio and Trump and his wife Melania will tour some of the hard-hit areas by air, then visit the state emergency operations centre to meet first responders and relatives of flood victims.
The president will get a briefing from officials and join by Republican Texas governor Greg Abbott and Republican senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
Trump has suggested that a warning system should be established for future natural disasters. He has promised repeatedly to phase out disaster relief schemes and national support teams to allow states to be responsible for emergency management.
On Tuesday, however, Trump did not mention those plans and instead praised the federal flooding response.