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Trump Visits Texas Hill Country as Flood Response Under Scrutiny

A special legislative session will address warning system failures following the July 4 floods that claimed 121 lives.

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A vehicle drives through a road flooded by the waters of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, on July 9.
Dan Beazley, of Mich., prays with a large cross at a memorial for flood victims on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nancy Epperson, right, and Brooklyn Pucek, 6, visit a memorial for flood victims along the Guadalupe River on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Overview

  • President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are touring flood-ravaged communities in Kerr County to meet survivors and first responders and to assess recovery efforts.
  • Search operations have transitioned to recovery efforts along the Guadalupe River, with no live rescues reported this week and more than 170 people still unaccounted for.
  • Kerr County officials have vowed comprehensive after-action reviews into delays of CodeRED alerts that left residents without flood warnings for up to 90 minutes.
  • Governor Greg Abbott has convened a July 21 special session of the Texas Legislature to fund siren-based alarms and overhaul emergency alert protocols.
  • FEMA’s urban search-and-rescue deployment has come under criticism for delays tied to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s personal approval requirement on contracts exceeding $100,000.