President Donald Trump announced he will travel to Texas on Friday with First Lady Melania Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to meet with survivors and survey the damage caused by catastrophic flooding that occurred over the Fourth of July weekend. The flooding, which overwhelmed communities along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, has resulted in at least 110 confirmed deaths and more than 170 people still unaccounted for.
“We don’t want to get in anyone’s way,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “The president goes, and everyone’s around focused. I don’t want anyone to focus on us.” Trump added that the search for survivors continues, even as the odds grow longer. “They could have somebody saved still… probably unlikely at this point, but that could be.”
Governor Greg Abbott provided updated figures Tuesday, stating that 161 people remain missing in Kerr County alone, while an additional 12 remain unaccounted for across other affected areas. First responders have rescued over 850 individuals so far, often in difficult and dangerous conditions. Federal helicopters have been deployed to assist local rescue teams, with coordination between state and federal agencies described by Trump as “very good.”
In response to the disaster, Trump approved a major federal disaster declaration earlier this week. This move has unlocked emergency assistance and funding for state and local response efforts. Additional federal agencies are also stepping in to help stabilize the region and support the affected communities.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a public health emergency on Tuesday, allowing healthcare resources to be surged into the disaster area. The Department of Housing and Urban Development also implemented a 90-day foreclosure moratorium on FHA-insured mortgages for homeowners in Kerr County, one of the hardest-hit areas.
Among the most heartbreaking tragedies to emerge from the floods is the loss of life at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp located near the Guadalupe River. Dozens of children and staff were swept away by the fast-moving waters. Authorities confirmed the deaths of 8-year-old campers Renee Smajstrla and Eloise Peck, 19-year-old counselor Chloe Childress, and longtime camp director Dick Eastland, age 74. Twin sisters Blaire and Brooke Harber were found deceased 15 miles from the cabin they had been staying in with their grandparents, who remain missing.
The scale of loss in this disaster has shaken the state and the nation. While rescue efforts continue, attention now turns to recovery, accountability, and support for grieving families. Visits from national leaders can’t reverse the devastation, but they do serve to acknowledge the pain and provide clarity about the federal government’s role in helping communities rebuild. Lives were lost, families were shattered, and communities were forever altered—but the national response must be unwavering and decisive.
