When the number of victims from catastrophic floods in Texas climbed to at least 82 years, including 28 children, President Donald Trump prevented the reaction of his administration and criticized the past budget cuts to the federal weather agency.
Trump talked to reporters before leaving his golf club Bedminster and called the flood for the “terrible thing” and insisted that no one could predict devastation.
“That was the thing that happened in seconds. No one expected it. No one saw it,” Trump said. “Very talented people there and they didn’t see it.”
The President added that he planned to visit Kerr County, where the flood waters increased in just 45 minutes, later in the week.
“I would do it today, but we would only be in the way,” he said. “It’s a terrible thing that happened, absolutely terrible.”
Criticism for cuts in staff
Some meteorologists and former federal officials asked whether the years of reducing the staff under Trump contributed to insufficient storm warning.
Rick Spinrad, the former director of the National Ocean and atmospheric administration (NOAA), said that extensive weather cuts left the weather offices insufficiently underestimated, although it could not confirm whether it directly influenced the forecasts for floods in Texas.
“They would inevitably worsen the agency’s ability to provide accurate and timely predictions,” Spinrad warned.
Trump is pushing back to blame
When it was pushed to decrease the staff’s reaction to the disaster, Trump turned away and referred to his democratic predecessor.
“The situation for the water, that’s all and it was really a biden setting,” he said. “But I wouldn’t blame Biden for that. I would say it is a 100 -year disaster.”
Plans to discard fema
Trump’s administration dramatically reduced personnel cast in agencies responsible for forecast and climate research. The President had previously floated plans for reworking or even eliminate FEMA, he said that states should take more responsibility during the disasters.
On Sunday he asked if he was still intending to dismantle the agency, Trump indicated that the discussion would come later.
“That’s something we can talk about later, but we’re busy with work right now,” he said.
No plans for rehiria of meteorologists
Trump also confirmed that he was not planning to remedy any of the federal meteorologists released at the beginning of this year as part of the sweeping of government expenditure.
“I would think no,” he said. “That was the thing that happened in seconds. No one expected it. No one saw it.”
Signed a statement of disaster
Despite the discussion, Trump signed a main statement on the Kerr County disaster on Sunday, which activated Fema to help Texas respond to the crisis.
The Minister of Internal Security Kristi Noem, whose department oversees Fema and NOAA, acknowledged that the initial warnings of National Weather Service did not fully expect the severity of the flood.
“The slight flood watch issued on Thursday did not precisely precisely extreme precipitation,” Noem said, adding that the administration is working on upgrading forecast systems.
Condolences to the victims
Trump closed his notes condolences to those affected.
“God bless all people who have gone so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas,” he said.
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