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Donald Trump to visit Texas week after flash floods; check full schedule
The Trump administration has backed the response to the Texas floods via the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
President Donald Trump will visit Texas on Friday, July 11, a week after deadly floods led to the loss of over 120 lives. An Associated Press report said that the US President is expected to embark on an aerial tour of some of the hard-hit areas. He will also visit the state emergency operations centre to interact with first responders and relatives of flood victims.
Trump’s visit to Kerrville County in Texas comes as the focus shifts towards the government's response to the floods. The disaster in Texas is the deadliest of Trump’s second term in office, Reuters reported.
Local and federal officials have faced scrutiny about whether more could have been done to warn people about the rising water levels. Reuters reported that years ago, Kerr County declined to install an early-warning system after it did not secure state grant money.
The Trump administration has backed the response to the Texas floods via the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It has sent funds for disaster recovery, property losses and temporary housing. The US President has largely declined to talk about his prior plans to reduce or abolish FEMA and plans for its key functions to be carried out at the state and local level.
Also read: Camp Mystic: Haunting visuals reveal aftermath of deadly Texas flood that left 27 dead
Full schedule of Donald Trump’s Texas visit:
As per the Austin American-Statesman, the full schedule of the US President’s visit to Kerrville County, Texas, is as follows:
8:30 am: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will leave the White House and travel to Kerrville, Texas.
11:20 am: Donald and Melania Trump arrive in Kerrville.
1:10 pm: The president and first lady will take part in a roundtable discussion with local officials and first responders.
2:15 pm: Donald and Melania Trump to leave Kerrville and visit Bedminster, New Jersey.
Also read: Who was John Burgess? Brother of country singer Pat Green swept away in deadly Texas floods
What did Donald Trump say about the Texas floods?
The Republican President signed a “Major Disaster Declaration” for Kerr County on July 6. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised the state first responders and other teams involved in the rescue and search efforts for saving more than 850 lives.
In the early hours of July 4, torrential rainfall led to the Guadalupe River overflowing its banks.
The resulting flash floods killed over 100. Dozens remain missing. One of the biggest sites of tragedy was Camp Mystic, an almost century-old summer camp for girls located on the banks of the river. Floodwaters swept away dozens of campers from the location. At least 27 people have been reported dead in the incident.
