U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday visited the area hardest hit by the devastating floods in Central Texas, where at least 120 people lost their lives and another 160 remain missing.
On a tour of Kerr County, one of the hardest hit, Trump called the tragedy a “terrible thing” and said he had never witnessed a natural disaster of such magnitude on U.S. soil.
Trump defends authorities, rejects criticism
“I’ve seen hurricanes, tornadoes… but never anything like this. It’s a terrible thing,” the president said during a roundtable discussion in Kerrville, along with Governor Greg Abbott and local officials.
Amid the grief and dismay, Trump took the occasion to defend the performance of local authorities and minimize criticism of the warning system that, according to media outlets such as The New York Times, failed to warn in time residents of the Hill Country, a hilly region north of San Antonio where the Guadalupe River violently overflowed its banks.
When questioned by a reporter about the lack of alert infrastructure improvements in Kerr County, Trump responded in annoyance:
“Only a very evil person would ask such a question. This was something no one saw coming, one of those catastrophes that happen every 500 or a thousand years.”
The president insisted that “everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances,” and asked Texans to focus on rebuilding and not looking for those responsible.
Ignored warnings and late notices
Several reports reveal that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had warned since 2024 about the high risk of flooding in the area, recommending an investment of at least $1 million to upgrade the early detection system in the Guadalupe River basin.
Residents like Jessica Lopez, a mother of three, say they did not receive an alert until the water was already entering their homes. “We woke up because of the noise. Nobody gave us any warning. We could have all drowned,” she told local media.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that it began issuing warnings at 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, but that the rains were much heavier than expected, with accumulations of up to 28 centimeters in a few hours, also affecting Bandera, Kendall and Tom Green counties.
A response under pressure
Images of flattened houses, floating cars and entire families searching for their loved ones have shocked the country.
Rescue groups continue to comb the region in search of survivors, while Governor Abbott called a special legislative session for the end of July to review emergency protocols and prevent similar tragedies.
Congressman Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, demanded an immediate audit of the state’s alert system, noting that “many deaths could have been prevented.”
El desbordamiento del Río Guadalupe en Texas causó mucha destrucción y dejó muchos muertos en la zona centro del estado
“This is no time to look for blame”: Trump
Buzzy
During his visit, Trump avoided talking about whether the federal government will allocate new funds to prevent future disasters in rural or migrant areas.
He only reiterated that “Texas is in good hands” and that “this is not the time to look for blame”.
Joined by First Lady Melania Trump, the president offered his condolences to the affected families and pledged federal aid for rebuilding.
Even so, tension in the communities continues to grow, especially among those who feel that their lives were put at risk due to lack of prevention.
Find out more at ‘QueOnnda.com’.
