The death toll in the devastating Texas flooding is rising to 80. Blame about who is responsible has already been tossed out there. President Donald Trump’s cuts to the National Weather Service earlier this year have been cited as one reason, a point with which he disagrees. Speaking at New Jersey Airport, Donald Trump stated that the “Biden setup” could be the explanation.
The devastating floods in the Guadalupe River, Texas, have claimed more than 80 lives as the river rose 26 feet within 45 minutes, according to state officials. Christian girls’ summer camp Camp Mystic was struck hard, and now, the camp has confirmed that at least 27 attendees and counselors died in the flood that hit on the Fourth of July weekend.
“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly,” the camp wrote in a statement on their website, adding that they are in contact with local authorities, continuing the search for “missing girls.”
They said they are in communication with local authorities who are continuing to search for “missing girls.”
“We ask for your continued prayers, respect, and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us,” the statement ended.
Four months’ worth of rain fell in just hours as the flooding turned into a worst-case scenario. While people are still missing, the debate about who is responsible – and how people weren’t warned – is already ongoing. Some Texas officials criticized the National Weather Service for underestimating the rainfall and for not effectively conveying the storm’s threat.
Meteorologist ways “forecasting was good” before catastrophic Texas flooding
“The original forecast that we received on Wednesday from the National Weather Service predicted 3 to 6 inches of rain in the Concho Valley and 4 to 8 inches of rain in the Hill Country,” Texas Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd said at a news conference Friday, per CNN “The amount of rain that fell in this specific location was never in any of those forecasts nonetheless.”
A former NWS official, as well as independent meteorologists, told CNN that the warnings issued before the flooding were as accurate as they could have been with the available real-time water data. While it’s challenging to ensure warnings reach those most at risk, they also noted that flash flooding and extreme rain are difficult to predict.
“The forecasting was good. The warnings were good. It’s always about getting people to receive the message,” Wisconsin-based meteorologist Chris Vagasky told CNN. “It appears that is one of the biggest contributors — that last mile.”
Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, a union representing government employees, stated the San Antonio weather forecasting office did not their two top top positions filled; a permanent science officer, who conduts training and is responsible of implementing new technology, or a warning coordination meteorologist, who is responsible for coordinating with the media and public office).
Donald Trump says federal cuts was not the reason behind flooding tragedy
Even so, Fahy stated that there were enough meteorologists in offices to make a swift response.
“The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,” he said, adding that he was concerned about the two top positions not being filled.
Donald Trump and his administration, with Elon Musk overseeing DOGE, decided to lay off or retire nearly 600 people within the National Weather Service earlier this year. Whether that could have been a reason behind the enormous tragedy in Texas, the investigation will show. However, according to the President of the United States himself, that was not the case.
Speaking to reporters at an airport in New Jersey, Trump said that Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, will continue to be in Texas, adding that “we’re working very close” with Texas representatives. It’s unclear if the president will visit the site himself.
Donald Trump says NWS was “Biden setup”
When asked whether he would investigate whether cuts to the federal government left vacancies at the National Weather Service or in emergency coordination, Trump brought up former President Joe Biden.
“They didn’t. I’ll tell you, if you look at that, what a situation that all is – that was really the Biden setup, that was not our setup. But I wouldn’t blame Biden for it either. I would just say this is a 100-year catastrophe and it’s just so horrible to watch,” Donald Trump said.
Moreover, the president stated that he is unsure whether the NWS needs to hire additional meteorologists.
“This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it; nobody saw it. Very talented people are there, and they didn’t see it,” he said.
Join us in praying for the victims and their families in these devastating times.