Trump visits Texas flooded area, dismissing criticism on alerts

Houston, July 12 (IANS) US President Donald Trump visited central Texas, clapping back again at the criticism of his policy and federal response to the July 4 major flooding that left at least 121 dead and more than 150 others missing.

The search is continuing, though no survivors have been found since July 5, according to officials from the hardest-hit Kerr County in central Texas, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 2,100 responders from local authorities, 20 US states and several federal agencies joined the search and rescue.

The local, state and federal governments have done an "incredible job" in managing the flooding response, rescue and recovery, Trump said in Texas after surveying the damage on Friday.

"We just were making a little tour of the area. It's hard to believe the devastation. Trees that are 100 years old, just ripped out of the ground. I've never seen anything like it. I've seen a lot of bad ones," Trump said.

"This has been incredible, really, the job you've all done," Trump said at a roundtable event. "I've gone to some real bad ones; I've never seen anything like this."

Asked by a reporter for his reaction to those who questioned why there were no earlier alerts ahead of the flooding, Trump fired back: "I don't know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that."

Trump later attacked Democrats who slammed his administration's response and demanded an investigation into it. "All they want to do is criticize," the president said. "The public's wise to it."

Accompanying Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the federal response to the Texas flooding as "swift and effective."

Earlier this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer questioned whether the staff cuts at the National Weather Service under the Trump administration hampered forecasting of the heavy rains and alerts of the flash floods.

CNN reported Wednesday that search-and-rescue crews from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had not been authorised for deployment until more than 72 hours after the flooding began due to new spending approval requirements imposed by the Trump administration.

"This would be an unmitigated, unforced disaster, and it would certainly exacerbate the toll of extreme weather events," a group of House Democrats wrote in a letter Wednesday to FEMA and the federal agency in charge of the National Weather Service, calling for congressional hearings on the flood response.

Trump blasted the then-Biden administration's response to a major flooding killing at least 103 people in September during the 2024 presidential campaign, and California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and other local Democratic officials over the California wildfires earlier this year.

The flash floods across at least 20 counties in central Texas will cause an estimated $18 to $22 billion in total damage and economic loss, US weather forecasting service AccuWeather said in a preliminary estimate.

--IANS

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