“CATASTROPHIC”
Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem told a press conference that Trump wanted to “upgrade the technologies” at the weather service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Trump’s administration has faced criticism from scientists and disaster management agencies after cutting funding and hundreds of staff at the NOAA, in charge of weather forecasts and preparedness, and the NWS.
“We need to renew this ancient system,” Noem said.
When asked about claims that residents were given insufficient warning of the floods, Noem said she would “carry your concerns back to the federal government”.
Officials have said the speed and level of flooding were shocking.
“We didn’t know this flood was coming,” Kerr County official Rob Kelly said Friday.
Kerrville city official Dalton Rice said rescuers were facing “very difficult” conditions, warning people against travelling to the site.
Rice added that it was not known how many people may have been visiting the popular camping area, and declined to give an overall figure for how many were missing.
Soila Reyna, 55, a Kerrville resident who works at a local church helping people who lost their belongings, witnessed the devastation unfold.
“It has been years since we had a flood, but nothing like this,” Reyna said.
“Nothing like as catastrophic as this, where it involved children, people and just the loss of people’s houses … It’s just crazy,” she added.
With rescuers fanning out across the region, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring urged the community to come together.
“People need to know today will be a hard day. It will be a hard day,” he said, his voice breaking.
Source: CNA
