Trump pledges support for flood-Stricken Texas, defends Weather Service staffing

President Donald Trump is pledging federal support for flood-ravaged Central Texas and says he plans to visit the disaster zone later this week.

(LILAMAX)- President Donald Trump is pledging federal support for flood-ravaged Central Texas and says he plans to visit the disaster zone later this week. “I would have done it today,” Trump said Monday, “but we’d just be in their way.”

The President’s remarks came as questions swirl over whether cuts to the federal government have left key vacancies at the National Weather Service (NWS) — potentially impacting the agency’s ability to issue timely flood warnings.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed those concerns bluntly: “They did not.”

Trump echoed that defense, describing the flooding as a rare and devastating event. “This is a hundred-year catastrophe,” he said. “It’s just so horrible to watch.”

Still, some lawmakers are calling for closer scrutiny of the agency’s staffing levels. “I know there are a number of important vacant positions,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX). “And I and others have been asking for some time how this affects our preparedness here and ability to give alerts.”

The legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees’ Union acknowledged that while there were enough meteorologists to respond to the crisis, concerns remain over unfilled senior roles.

According to the NWS, the alert system worked as intended. The agency released a detailed timeline of warnings, including a 1:14 AM alert on Thursday that triggered emergency notifications to cell phones in the affected areas.

The White House backed the agency’s response, stating plainly: “The NWS did their job.”