Donald Trump met with Texas officials on Friday in Kerrville as he toured the damage from last week's devastating flash flooding.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump shook hands with rescuers who responded to the disaster, which has killed at least 121 people and left more than 160 missing, one week on.
Among the dead were more than two dozen girls from a summer camp, Camp Mystic. Trump took an aerial tour of the flood-ravaged Guadalupe River region, accompanied by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, and other federal officials.
The visit comes as Texas lawmakers face growing scrutiny over the state’s flood warning systems.
Before boarding Marine One to travel to Texas, the president said: “It's a horrible thing, a horrible thing. Nobody can even believe it, such a thing that much water that fast, without a dam break ... But we're going to be there with some of the great families and others, the governor, everybody.”
A New York Times report revealed that county officials were repeatedly denied funding for an emergency flood warning system, despite telling FEMA in October that deadly flooding was “likely” to occur within a year.
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Key Points
- Trump and Melania arrive in Texas
- Death toll: At least 121 dead and 173 missing after Texas flash floods
- Kerr County ‘repeatedly denied funding’ for flood alert system
- President calls for flood alarms before heading to Kerville
Watch: Trump thanks first responders in Kerrville, Texas
19:36
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Oliver O'Connell
.@POTUS and @FLOTUS thank local firefighters for their heroic efforts during the catastrophic flooding pic.twitter.com/B713hCHe7F
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 11, 2025
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted firefighters and other first responders in Kerrville, Texas, following last week’s devastating flash floods.
.@POTUS and @FLOTUS meet some of the heroes who responded to the devastating flooding in Kerrville, Texas: pic.twitter.com/4VctOHtIl1
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 11, 2025
19:23
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Oliver O'Connell
Kerrville in Kerr County, Texas, was the center of last Friday’s deluge. As many as 170 people may still be unaccounted for, and statewide, there have been 121 deaths.
Local supporters line route as president's motorcade passes by
19:20
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trumps meet with members of Kerrville Fire Department
19:13
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are meeting with members of the Kerrville Fire Department, who are explaining their role in responding to last Friday’s tragedy.
Alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the Trumps are being shown maps of the local river system to understand the extent of the devastation in Kerr County.
19:06
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Oliver O'Connell
Trump greeted by Gov Abbott
19:04
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Oliver O'Connell
Texas Governor Greg Abbott greeted President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump as they stepped out of Marine One at Kerrville-Kerr County Airport.
Death threats over Texas flooding cartoon
19:00
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Oliver O'Connell
An event in support of local reporting was postponed after death threats against a journalist for his newspaper editorial cartoon about the catastrophic flooding in Texas, according to a union.
An online fury erupted this week over an editorial cartoon in The Buffalo News by Pulitzer Prize-winner Adam Zyglis showing a man in a MAGA cap being swept away by the Texas floodwaters. Nose deep in the water, the man is holding up a sign that reads “Help” and a speech bubble floating downstream says: “Gov’t is the problem not the solution.”
Read on...
Watch: Texas House Oversight Democrat says Texans deserve answers on flooding
18:42
Texans deserve answers about what went right and what went wrong in the response to the terrible flooding.
— Congressman Greg Casar (@RepCasar) July 11, 2025
I'm joining @RepRobertGarcia and @RepJasmine to demand answers from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on why it took her 72 hours to approve search and rescue resources. pic.twitter.com/vDSelQMN6h
Texas flood before-and-after pictures show devastating toll of catastrophe
18:30
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Oliver O'Connell
At least 121 people are dead and 173 are missing in central Texas after the Guadalupe River swelled last Friday, causing destructive flash flooding throughout Kerr County.
Now, new before-and-after satellite images of several sites throughout Kerry County show the devastation caused by the floods as crews embark on a seventh day of search and rescue efforts. Crews are searching mounds of debris along an eight-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River, often finding cars and RVs buried in the wreckage.
Search and rescue efforts are expected to continue for several weeks, said Fredericksburg Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
Trump visit to disaster site called 'good thing' by local official
18:18
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Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump's visit to flood-hit communities has been hailed as a “good thing” by a local official. Kerr County Commissioner Jeff Holt, also a member of the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department, praised the move, stating: "He’s here to pledge his federal support like he already has with FEMA. That’s important as a leader to be where the point of friction is. That’s what a leader does."
Mr Holt indicated that if he were to speak with Trump, he would request vital infrastructure, specifically "(phone) towers, then maybe a little better early warning system." He noted the early warning system is a topic for the state Legislature’s special session, which begins on July 23.
With reporting from the AP
Trump arrives in Texas
18:11
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Oliver O'Connell
Air Force One was wheels down at Kelly Field air base in San Antonio, Texas, at 11.59 a.m. local time.
The president and others will take helicopters from there to Kerrville.
Here’s the presidential delegation arriving:
Farmers and ranchers face damaged crops and endangered livestock after floods
18:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Across a wide swath of Texas, the inundated rivers that ravaged communities also tore through farms and ranches.
In the town of Bend, about two hours north of Austin, Boyd Clark waded into rising waters to help one of his stranded ostrich hens. Matthew Ketterman spent several agonizing hours trapped on top of his truck amid coursing rapids after driving out to check the fences on his exotic game ranch outside Burnet, about an hour south of Bend. And the overflowing San Gabriel River knocked Christmas trees sideways and staff had to get petting zoo animals into a temporary pen at Sweet Eats Adventure Farm in Georgetown, about 65 miles east of Ketterman's ranch.
Read on...
Camp Mystic owner warned of flood dangers for decades before he died in last week’s tragedy
17:39
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Oliver O'Connell
Dick Eastland, the owner of Camp Mystic, where 27 died in last week’s flash flood, had warned for decades about the dangers of flooding from the Guadalupe River, CNN reports.
He died last Friday while trying to save young campers.
Eastland successfully lobbied for a new early warning system after 10 children drowned in flood waters at a nearby camp in 1987. More recently, he served on a board that supports the development of improved warnings along the river. Once, his pregnant wife had to be airlifted to the hospital after rising waters cut off the camp.
The early warning system, installed in the 1980s, was shut down in 1999 after years of neglect.
Periodic attempts to install a new system were thwarted by low budgets, local opposition, and a lack of state support, the network reports.
Some of the original cabins at the camp, founded 99 years ago, were built in an area later identified by the federal government as being at the highest risk of flooding. Newer cabins were built in less risky locations, though the originals remained.
Eastland has been praised for his efforts to save campers as water inundated the area last Friday.
“If he wasn’t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way—saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,” his grandson George Eastland wrote on Instagram.
“Although he no longer walks this earth, his impact will never fade in the lives he touched.”
Vought confronted over Trump’s lavish spending amid government cuts
17:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Grand Canyon among US national parks evacuated due to wildfires
17:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuated because of wildfires.
The Grand Canyon's North Rim in Arizona closed Thursday because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake that began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area.
Read on...
House Democrats seek documents and comms on Texas flood response
16:38
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Oliver O'Connell
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are requesting additional information regarding the federal government's response to recent flooding in Texas, seeking documents and communications to better understand the handling of the disaster and prevent reoccurrences.
The initiative is spearheaded by the committee's newly elected ranking member, California Representative Robert Garcia, alongside Texas representatives Greg Casar and Jasmine Crockett, who also sit on the panel.
A central concern revolves around alleged changes to agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security, which lawmakers suggest may have hampered preparedness.
A letter sent to FEMA expressed deep concern that “Secretary [Kristi] Noem may have effectively crippled the agency’s ability to respond to this crisis, but also that she failed to personally act to ensure a timely response.”
Democrats have also raised questions about reported failures in early warning systems across the affected regions, sending separate letters to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Commerce Department’s inspector general regarding these alleged failures.
With reporting from the AP
Trump praises Noem’s disaster response – because he saw her on TV
16:30
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over criticism of the federal response to the deadly flash flooding in Texas by saying she has done a “great job” because he saw her get out on TV quickly to reassure the public.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
FEMA is not shutting down but ‘rebranding’
16:07
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump has seemingly softened his stance on phasing out the Federal Emergency Management Agency completely, with the administration now planning on using it to highlight local and state leaders' roles in disaster response – as they’ve done in Texas.
Ariana Baio reports.
White House mercilessly mocked for posting pic of Trump as Superman
16:00
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Oliver O'Connell
The White House is being mercilessly mocked on social media after posting a meme showing President Donald Trump as Superman in an apparent attempt to capitalize on the buzz generated by the release of a new blockbuster film about DC’s Man of Steel.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
Who is accompanying Trump to Texas?
15:50
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Oliver O'Connell
Traveling with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on their visit to Kerrville, Texas, are:
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins
- Housing & Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner
- Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler
- Senator John Cornyn
- Senator Ted Cruz
- Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas’s 38th District
- White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
- White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair
- Policy Adviser Robert Gabriel
- White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Implementation Nick Luna
- White House Communications Director Steven Cheung
- Speechwriter Ross Worthington
- Dep. Sec. of HUD Andrew Hughes
- Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs James Braid
Newsnation reports that joining them in Kerrville will be Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose remit includes FEMA. This will be her second visit to Texas since the flooding.
Watch: Trump speaks with reporters as he departs White House
15:33
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Oliver O'Connell
President Trump speaks to reporters as he departs the White House en route to Texas. pic.twitter.com/kaGrf0tXOc
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 11, 2025
In pictures: Family scramble to roof as floodwaters rise in home
15:31
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James Liddell
Trump departs White House
15:16
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump said to reporters about the catastrophic flooding in Texas: “It's a horrible thing, a horrible thing. Nobody can even believe it, such a thing that much water that fast, without a dam break. You think a dam would have to break to have it so terrible. But we're going to be there with some of the great families and others, the governor, everybody.”
Trump extends major disaster declaration to more Texas counties
15:10
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump on Thursday approved Governor Greg Abbott’s request to extend a major disaster declaration for flood-ravaged Central Texas. This expands eligibility for direct financial assistance to eight additional counties beyond Kerr County, aiding their recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Governor Abbott thanked President Trump and his administration for their “swift and continued support.”
He added: “Texas will continue to deploy all available resources and support to help those impacted until the job is done.”
FEMA noted that more counties could be added to the declaration as further damage assessments become available.
Flash flood risk in Central Texas over weekend
15:01
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James Liddell
The National Weather Service has warned of “potentially numerous” flash floods in portions of Central Texas.
There is a greater risk of thunderstorms and heavy downpours in the area due to a new upper-level system that is expected to move in from the west, which may combine with moist air from the Gulf.
The ground is still saturated from the deadly floods a week ago, so even light to moderate rain could cause localized flash flooding.
Vought: FEMA has funds for Texas flood damages, reform coming
14:27
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Andrew Feinberg
Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought gaggled with reporters in the White House driveway this morning and discussed FEMA and the response to the floods in Texas.
“FEMA has $13 billion in its reserves right now to continue to pay for the necessary expenses," Vought said of that agency before adding that "the president has said to Texas, anything it needs it will get.”
He continued that, at the same time, “we also want FEMA to be reformed. We want FEMA to work well...the President is going to continue to be asking tough questions of all of his agencies.”
Trump's schedule today
14:15
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Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are set to depart the White House at 9:30 a.m. ET and arrive in Kerrville, Texas, at 12:20 p.m. per the White House schedule.
After touring the flood-damaged areas and meeting with the families of some of the victims, they will participate in a roundtable with first responders and local officials at 2:10 p.m.
The Trumps will depart for the president’s golf club at Bedminster, New Jersey, about an hour later.
Trump is set to be joined by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, Senator John Cornyn, and Senator Ted Cruz.
Satellite images reveal stark before-and-after of Texas flood devastation
14:01
,
James Liddell
At least 121 people are dead and 173 are missing in central Texas after the Guadalupe River swelled last Friday, causing destructive flash flooding throughout Kerr County.
Now, before-and-after satellite images of several sites throughout Kerry County show the devastation caused by the floods as crews embark on a seventh day of search and rescue efforts.
Katie Hawkinson has more:
Hundreds of pets left displaced by floods
13:31
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James Liddell
Hundreds of pets have been displaced by the central Texas flash floods that swept away cars, homes and killed more than 120 people.
Animal advocacy nonprofit Wings of Rescue airlifted 117 cats and dogs to safety on Thursday, bringing them to Meacham Airport in Fort Worth from shelters in flooded San Angelo and San Marcos.
The group says it has rescued a total of 242 animals since the July 4 floods.
Best Friends Animal Society has reportedly rescued about 130 cats and dogs from shelters.
Austin Wildlife Rescue said that it has taken in over 200 wild animals in the days
Trump 'walks back proposal' to scrap FEMA ahead of Texas trip
12:59
,
James Liddell
After months of threats to dismantle FEMA, the Trump administration has reportedly shelved the plan (for now).
As Donald Trump prepares for his trip to flood-ravaged Texas, a senior White House official told The Washington Post that no official action is being taken to wind down FEMA.
According to the official, the changes at the agency will likely amount to a “rebranding,” shifting the spotlight to state leaders as the drivers of disaster response.
“You’re already seeing the theory” of the administration’s new approach “taking place in Texas,” the official said.
How ‘alert fatigue’ impacts communities during natural disasters
12:29
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James Liddell
There were many flash flooding warnings in Kerr County at the start of the July 4 weekend, but those alerts didn’t reach some of the campers and residents who didn’t have cellphone service, who had silenced notifications, or who didn’t have their phones with them.
Emergency alerts are sent out by several agencies on various platforms, but they often do not reach those in danger. Excessive warnings can also cause alert fatigue, leading some to turn off notifications and increase their risk during emergencies.
Flash flooding events can be difficult to predict and broad warnings may be ignored if the dangerous conditions aren’t clearly communicated.
Gustaf Kilander has more:
Democrat calls for investigation into Kristi Noem over FEMA's flood response
12:01
,
James Liddell
Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz is calling for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be investigated over the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “delayed” response to the Texas floods.
In a letter to the top lawmakers on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Thursday, the Florida lawmaker slammed Noem’s new “cost-control” policy that requires the DHS secretary to approve all expenses over $100,000.
Moskowitz said that it “stripped FEMA of its ability to act in real time and delayed every major aspect of response.”
Read the full letter here:
As a former emergency management director, I’ve been alarmed by how Sec. Noem has handled the tragic flooding in Texas.
— Congressman Jared Moskowitz (@RepMoskowitz) July 11, 2025
I’m calling for an investigation into reports of FEMA’s delayed response. Congress has to get answers, strengthen emergency management, and protect the public. pic.twitter.com/wWykZUy3D7
Trump to be briefed by Abbott, Cruz among other Texas lawmakers
11:30
,
James Liddell
As Texas lawmakers face scrutiny over allegedly neglecting flood warning systems, Donald Trump is expected to receive a briefing from several of the state’s top officials.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott, Senator John Cornyn and Senator Ted Cruz are expected to fly to their state with the president aboard Air Force One as he heads to survey flood damage in Kerr County.
First Lady Melania Trump will join the president in a roundtable with first responders and local officials in Kerrville. They are also expected to meet with relatives of those killed by the floods.
Mapped: Here are the affected areas as death toll rises
11:01
,
James Liddell
A week after catastrophic flash floods swept through Central Texas, first responders are still sifting through debris to find the missing and recover the dead.
The Independent’s maps reveal the extent of devastation. In the hardest-hit region, Kerr County, authorities revealed 36 children were among the 96 victims in the flood-ravaged county.
In pictures: More than 100 crosses erected in Kerrville for lives lost in floods
10:31
,
James Liddell
In full: Trump to tour flood zone as he touts ties to deep-red Texas
10:00
,
James Liddell
President Donald Trump is expected to tour areas struck by the Texas flash floods on Friday as the state comes to terms with a natural disaster that has left hundreds dead and missing.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly praised the Trump administration for its response to the tragedy this week, despite the White House having made severe cutbacks to climate and weather agencies, and even as Trump officials continue to argue for the elimination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The relationship between Abbott and Trump is contrasted to that between the president and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who met Trump in January following devastating wildfires in
