Trump expands emergency declaration after visiting Texas flood sites

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to south central Texas on Friday to view the site of devastating floods and visit with locals. At least 121 people were killed by flash flooding that struck late last week, with more than 160 people still missing as of Friday evening. Kerr County was hit particularly hard, where Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, lost 27 campers and counselors, according to a Thursday update.

Trump approved a presidential disaster declaration on Sunday to afford Kerr County funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Trump expanded his presidential disaster declaration on Friday to include several additional counties, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office. Abbott described the increased aid as an extraordinary collaboration between the state and federal government, according to the release.

What did the Trumps do while visiting? President and first lady Trump met with local officials in Kerrville, along with first responders and impacted residents. The pair also participated in a roundtable discussion with local leaders and other Trump administration members. The Guadalupe River rose nearly 30 feet in less than 45 minutes, but he took comfort that those little girls from Camp Mystic were welcomed into heaven, he said. Melania shared her deepest sympathies with grieving parents and described being touched by meeting with impacted families earlier in the day. She said they hugged, prayed, and held hands, and added that she planned to return. The administration is planning historic action to guarantee that nothing like this happens again, Trump said. Everyone on the ground did an incredible job responding under the circumstances, he added.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report for more background on the devastating floods.