Authorities are reviewing the emergency response to catastrophic flooding in Texas that killed over 80 people in Texas over the weekend, the Associated Press reports.
While the National Weather Service advised of potential flooding on Thursday and sent out flash flood warnings and later flash flood emergencies on Friday, authorities and elected officials did not expect such an intense downpour — the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area in a short period of time.
Among the flood’s victims are 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a century-old, all-girls summer camp that sustained massive damage. As of Sunday, 41 people were reportedly unaccounted for across the state, and more could be missing.
Additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more dangerous flooding.
Authorities are facing growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area that has long been vulnerable to flooding, and whether enough preparations were made.
President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County. He was asked whether he was still planning to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and said that was something “we can talk about later, but right now we are busy working.” He has said he wants to overhaul if not completely eliminate FEMA and sharply criticized its performance.
Trump also was asked whether he planned to rehire any of the federal meteorologists who were fired this year as part of widespread government spending cuts.
“I would think not. This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it,” the president said.
