Washington — President Trump and first lady Melania Trump are in Central Texas on Friday to survey the devastation wrought by last week’s deadly flooding, as first responders and family members continue their search for the missing.
The president met with families of the victims after touring the damage, and expressed the “anguish of our entire nation.”
“We just visited with incredible families that, I mean look, they’ve been devastated. They lost their child or two children. And, just hard to believe. I’ve never seen anything like it, a little narrow river that becomes a monster, and that’s what happened. But the first lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation in the aftermath of this really horrific and deadly flood.”
The president met with local officials and first responders in Kerrville, Texas, as the death toll in the state stands at 121, according to local law enforcement and Gov. Greg Abbott. The Trumps, along with Abbott, greeted first responders against the backdrop of a Kerrville firetruck and a pile of felled trees before joining officials at a roundtable discussion.
More than 170 people are still missing after flash floods consumed the region in the early morning of July 4. Drones, rescue teams and volunteers are combing through debris, hoping to find answers for the families of the missing. The majority of the confirmed deaths took place in Kerr County, where the Trumps are visiting.
Jacquelyn Martin / AP 
At Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp with cabins along the river in a rural part of Kerr County near Hunt, at least 27 campers and counselors died in what the camp described as “catastrophic flooding.” Some survivors said they woke up to water rushing through the windows.
The president landed in San Antonio on Air Force One before a short helicopter ride brought him and the first lady to Kerrville. He was accompanied on his visit by Texas Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, members of his Cabinet and other Texas lawmakers. The first couple was scheduled to spend about three hours in Texas before leaving for Bedminster, New Jersey.
“It’s a horrible thing, a horrible thing,” the president told reporters Friday before leaving the White House. “Nobody can even believe it. That much water, that fast.”
Jacquelyn Martin / AP 
Mr. Trump has thus far avoided assigning blame for the deaths, saying on Sunday, “I would just say this is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it’s just so horrible to watch.”
The president said he would have visited Central Texas sooner but didn’t want to be “in their way” as rescuers continue their work. Mr. Trump has signed a disaster declaration for the region, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deploy its own teams to support local rescue and recovery efforts as those operations press on.
After the catastrophic flooding, the first lady wrote on X, “My heart goes out to the parents in Texas during this difficult time. I am holding you in my thoughts and sending prayers for strength, comfort, and resilience.”
