President Donald Trump is heading to Texas this Friday to meet with first responders and families devastated by the catastrophic flooding that claimed over 100 lives last week. He’ll be joined by First Lady Melania Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and likely Republican Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. The visit comes as pressure mounts over the federal government’s response to the disaster, and concerns grow about warning systems that may have failed residents.
During his visit, Trump is expected to meet with victims’ families and get a full briefing from local leaders. He recently signed a major disaster declaration for Texas, unlocking federal funds for hard-hit Kerr County—an area where he won big in the 2024 election. Still, many feel help arrived too slowly.
Authorities are still combing miles of the Guadalupe River for more than 150 missing people. Among the dead or feared dead are 27 children and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt. As rescue efforts wind down, emotions are running high, and questions are piling up.
Critics say recent staffing cuts at the National Weather Service and NOAA, along with Trump’s long-standing plan to eliminate FEMA altogether, contributed to slower forecasts and delayed emergency response. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently introduced a new policy requiring her sign-off on any spending over $100,000, and some say that only made things worse.
When asked if the policy had caused delays, Trump defended Noem. “We were right on time. We were there. She was the first one I saw on television,” he told Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker.
But local officials in Texas tell a different story. Reports show Kerr County emergency managers didn’t use FEMA alerts to notify residents when the floods hit hard. Even more troubling, the county has no siren system at all. Some officials reportedly argued it was too expensive to install, even though the area is widely known as “flash flood alley.”
Trump weighed in on Thursday, saying he now supports installing flood alarms across the state. “After having seen this horrible event, I would imagine you’d put alarms up in some form, where alarms would go up if they see any large amounts of water or whatever it is,” he told NBC News.
Joe Herring, the mayor of Kerrville, told MSNBC’s Katy Tur that the county tried to secure funding for sirens years ago but got turned down. “The county government looked into that in 2017, and from what I heard, their grant application was denied,” Herring said. “I wasn’t in government at that time, but it sounds like we talked about it, we asked for help, and we were denied before.”
As Trump prepares for his visit, emotions in Texas remain raw. The floodwaters may be receding, but the questions are just beginning.