The federal response to the devastating Texas floods has come under scrutiny after President Donald Trump visited Kerr County, the area hit hardest by deadly flash floods that killed at least 120 people on July 4.
While President Trump praised Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for what he called an “incredible job” managing the aftermath, critics have raised concerns about whether funding cuts to the National Weather Service and FEMA affected early warning capabilities.
At a roundtable during his visit, Trump dismissed questions about delayed alerts for residents. However, some locals, including resident Lawrence Walker, argued that better investment in early warning systems could have saved lives. Others in Kerrville defended the response, saying the floods were so intense they overwhelmed any possible prevention efforts.
The Texas legislature now plans to hold a special session to investigate what went wrong and consider more funding for disaster relief. Critics have linked the administration’s recently passed legislative package—which reduced emergency services budgets—to the region’s lack of preparedness. At a gas station in Kerrville, locals have posted signs blaming federal spending cuts for weakened local response capabilities.
Search and rescue teams continue to look for more than 160 people still missing in the Texas Hill Country, many of them children from Camp Mystic, an all-girls retreat near the Guadalupe River. Witnesses say the river rose dramatically—from about one foot to 34 feet in just a few hours—making evacuation nearly impossible for some families.
Locals remain divided over whether stricter zoning laws should limit development along the riverbanks to prevent similar tragedies in the future. As the community recovers and debates next steps, the Trump administration’s flood response has become a key test of its approach to disaster preparedness and national emergency management.
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