Texas floods newest updates: Death toll surpasses 120 as Trump and Melania to tour devastation from ‘once in a 200-year event’ | EUROtoday

Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz is asking for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be investigated over the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “delayed” response to the Texas floods.

In a letter to the highest lawmakers on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Thursday, the Florida lawmaker slammed Noem’s new “cost-control” coverage that requires the DHS secretary to approve all bills over $100,000.

Moskowitz mentioned that it “stripped FEMA of its ability to act in real time and delayed every major aspect of response.”

Read the total letter right here:

As Texas lawmakers face scrutiny over allegedly neglecting flood warning methods, Donald Trump is anticipated to obtain a briefing from a number of of the state’s prime officers.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott, Senator John Cornyn and Senator Ted Cruz are anticipated to fly to their state with the president aboard Air Force One as he heads to survey flood injury in Kerr County.

First Lady Melania Trump will be a part of the president in a roundtable with first responders and native officers in Kerrville. They are additionally anticipated to fulfill with relations of these killed by the floods.

Trump can be anticipated to do an aerial tour of among the hardest-hit areas.

Per week after catastrophic flash floods swept by Central Texas, first responders are nonetheless sifting by particles to search out the lacking and get well the useless.

The Independent’s maps reveal the extent of devastation. In the hardest-hit area, Kerr County, authorities revealed 36 youngsters have been among the many 96 victims within the flood-ravaged county.

President Donald Trump is anticipated to tour areas struck by the Texas flash floods on Friday because the state involves phrases with a pure catastrophe that has left a whole bunch useless and lacking.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly praised the Trump administration for its response to the tragedy this week, regardless of the White House having made extreme cutbacks to local weather and climate businesses, and at the same time as Trump officers proceed to argue for the elimination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The relationship between Abbott and Trump is contrasted to that between the president and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who met Trump in January following devastating wildfires within the Golden State. Trump and Newsom argued over water entry through the blaze that destroyed 1000’s of buildings and induced a dozen fatalities.

Gustaf Killander has extra:

President Trump expressed assist for emergency flood warning methods after the devastating floods that swept by the Texas Hill Country.

“After having seen this horrible event, I would imagine you’d put alarms up in some form,” the president instructed NBC News’s Meet the Press. “Where alarms would go up if they see any large amounts of water or whatever it is.”

Trump’s feedback got here lower than a day earlier than his scheduled go to to Kerrville to survey flood injury.

Kerr County officers have been repeatedly denied state funding for an emergency flood warning system, a brand new report states.

County officers alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a 220-page “hazard mitigation” report in October that it was “likely” that lethal flooding would happen “in the next year,” in accordance with The New York Times.

Officials outlined a potential answer: a flood warning system that would alert residents to quickly rising waters.

The value of such a system was estimated at lower than $1 million, they usually famous that FEMA had grant packages that would pay for it.

Between 2017 and 2024, the newspaper recognized at the least three situations the place Kerr County officers sought funding for a flood warning system however have been denied by the state.

President Donald Trump will journey to Texas on Friday for a firsthand take a look at the devastation attributable to the catastrophic floods.

The president is anticipated to do an aerial tour of among the hard-hit areas.

The White House additionally says he’ll go to the state emergency operations centre to fulfill with first responders and relations of flood victims.

Trump may also get a briefing from officers. Republican Governor Greg Abbott, Senator John Cornyn and Senator Ted Cruz are becoming a member of the go to, with the GOP senators anticipated to fly to their state with Trump aboard Air Force One.

“Nobody ever saw a thing like this coming,” Trump instructed NBC News on Thursday, including, “This is a once-in-every-200-year deal.” He’s additionally instructed he’d have been prepared to go to Texas inside hours however did not need to burden authorities nonetheless trying to find the greater than 170 people who find themselves nonetheless lacking.