As an LA resident who had to escape for a few weeks and watched my friends’ homes burn on TV while Trump called us incompetent and demanded policy concessions for wildfire aid, I can tell you there’s a psychological damage here that goes beyond the physical destruction.
When you’ve lost everything and you’re dealing with insurance adjusters, FEMA paperwork, and finding temporary housing, the last thing you need is your own government taunting you in the headlines.
And the fact that he was calling us incompetent as he signed an executive order making the situation objectively worse - he diverted water resources to Central Valley farms while falsely claiming it would help LA firefighters, even though that water never came close to reaching LA - having to point this out and play politics in that moment was truly demoralizing.
There’s something deeply un-American about making every aspect of life tainted by unforced petty political squabbles, and that’s especially true when it comes to the worst days of people’s lives.
And we don’t even need to get into the irony of Texas politicians calling federal funds evil just because of the political party that secured it for them, knowing that Texas draws $30 billion annually from the federal government more than it pays in, while California pays billions more than it takes. See, now I’m a jerk for talking about petty politics in response to a heartbreaking disaster. But can we please set the record straight about which political party depends on welfare? You can’t base your identity on calling liberals free loaders while your budget is based on handouts from blue states.
Yes! We need to loudly set the record straight. I don't think enough of that is happening. Right now, Noem needs to be called out for not telling the truth about the Federal response. There should be headlines about politicizing aid as happened with the CA fires vs the comment to give TX anything it needs. In fact, if a lack of competence regarding what should have happened in a disaster were a criterion, then TX qualified more than CA.
I also want a side-by-side graphic of Trump's tweets in the hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall last year, accusing Biden of refusing calls from Georgia and North Carolina:
TRUMP: "[Georgia Gov. Kemp has] been calling [Biden], hasn’t been able to get him."
KEMP: "[Biden] offered that if there’s other things we need, just to call him directly, which — I appreciate that." He also clarified this communication happened before Trump's accusation.
And then for North Carolina...
TRUMP: “I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.” When asked for details of which reports he was talking about, he dodged it. Even if there could be truth to the accusation, how could Trump have possibly known this in the hours after the hurricane hit? That accusation would have required a lot of time and analysis to find evidence for.
Contrast that with this exchange from last Friday in Texas...
REPORTER: "Several families we heard from are obviously upset because they say those warnings, those alerts didn’t go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?"
TRUMP: "Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances...Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you. I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that."
Yes, thank you, Nancy. I’m so grateful you led with, “we need to loudly set the record straight.
While the Governerds are generous and contributing to Convoy of Hope, we can do more than one “next needed thing.” We can also loudly set the record straight.
It can make an equally needed impact by helping to prevent future suffering.
Eh, we had records set straight when our ice storm a few years ago hijacked our elect grid. Abbott appointed people OUTSIDE the state of TX as lots of info about lack of maintenance came to light. What happened as a consequence? NOTHING
Jo McEnroe, I’m sorry for the frustration that they intentional weaponize against you. We feel it in MO, too. That’s why we have to hang together. Remember, as a Governerd, Hope is a Choice!
Thank you, Gina! Although just to be clear, calling myself a survivor seems unjustified; my home and possessions were fine, I was just dodging having to inhale the ruins of nearby homes precipitating from the sky, and am fortunate to have family to stay with hundreds of miles away. I got to return a few weeks later and am really fortunate to not have my day to day routine impacted anymore. Meanwhile I know people who weren’t homeowners and didn’t get anything to offset the loss of their apartment, job, community… history shows us that the wealthiest and whitest tend to actually benefit financially from natural disaster relief (in a net positive to their wealth) while everyone else is worse off.
Like you said, this is only going to get more common, homes are going to become uninsurable, and our government looks at disasters as opportunities for political points instead of preparing us for the oncoming crises.
My grandson lives in Los Angeles and works in Pasadena. I am deeply grateful he is ok. The economy has been affected and the stress has been significant. It is hard to see how the combined effects of such Grief, stress and exhaustion of these events won’t affect the structure of our country. Shame on this administration.
Timothy, thank you for clarifying the impact you suffered. Although the trauma is comparatively less, it is still trauma. Just like everyone in a community surviving gun violence is traumatized.
Here’s my question. How outraged are the actual people in Kerr County over all of this flooding and death? These are the same people who refused “dirty” Biden money that would have mitigated this disaster and then, once finally accepted, spent it on things that maybe shouldn’t have been a priority? I’m tired of caring more about the people who are hurt and blinded by their own political ideology than they are for themselves but at some point I really have to walk away. These are adults, after all (although it’s kids now getting killed by their stupidity). I’m still digesting the fact that they refused the money because it came from Biden. I confess that I don’t have my finger on the pulse of the Kerr County vibe but are they even engaging in self reflection? Learning? Anything that wipes away the MAGA blinders? Sickening.
These facts about refusing Biden's money, spending it on other priorities than safety of citizens, should be headlines! Where are the real journalists. If I'm missing these headlines, I'd love to be corrected.
All true. We are dealing with people who got caught in a cult (MAGA) and they all in their own demented way our giving America a big fat FU. They won’t educate themselves to realize the people at the top (I call them the yacht 🛥️ people) careless about them. Albeit sickening I get the top tier. The middle tier of supporters are the biggest culprits because they have enough intelligence to know better.
The there is the less educated especially in rural red states who can’t see the forest for the trees.
I’m not. Or would or will ever be a Trump supporter however the fault is in the vast amount of voters who gave a murderer, rapist, scam artist and money swindler……and on and on….. the power to exist. History will show it’s on them.
I just want to point out that it's often children who suffer the consequences of this inhumane administration and the poor judgment of their supporters: these children in Texas, kids losing caregivers to ICE raids, loss of public education funding, safety and care for trans kids, starvation due to the shuttering of USAID, etc.
I'm doing what I can, but the rage and heartbreak are overwhelming.
As a Texan who owns property in a county that borders Kerr County, less than 25 miles from the flooding, it infuriates me that Kerr County residents were so foolish to say they didn't want "Biden" money. Geniuses, that is YOUR money! You know the money they take out of every paycheck labeled "FICA"? What do you think thats for? THAT is what "federal money" is, regardless of whether there is a D or an R after the sitting president's name.
And the politicization of natural disasters is beyond disgusting. Humans need help. Are we seriously going to stop and ask who they (or their parents!!) voted for before throwing out a lifeline? Because it seems like thats where we're headed at this point.
As a Hill Country resident, living about 45 miles from Kerrville, I’ve spent the past several days reading every article I can find on this tragedy. I think there are many layers of blame to be had here from the Camp Mystic decision makers on up to the local, state, and federal officials who all exhibited errors in judgement concerning the events leading up to this particular disaster. Ultimately, a terrible mixture of complacency, greed, tight wallets, and extremely partisan politics all combined to result in the high death toll of this flood. Reluctance to acknowledge climate change and to improve infrastructure to support a rapidly growing population also played roles.
This is the third tragic disaster that has occurred near me since we moved to Texas 6 years ago- the first two being the winter storm of 2021 and Uvalde. Sadly, it’s pretty obvious the local and state government in this state are deeply dysfunctional and the children and families of the state are paying the price— often with their lives. I am hoping for big change in 2026.
It is foreboding that the Project 2025 plans that the Trump administration are carrying out call for local control. In this situation, the county commissioner chose not to invest in an early warning system, local officials chose not to send texts to every cell phone, and Kerr county chose not to issue an evacuation order. It is a cautionary tale.
Of course, the Trump administration was also following the plan in this situation by leaving critical NWS positions vacant, delaying search and rescue responses, leaving calls unanswered, and cutting grants for sirens.
Let’s call this what it is: The Rich get Richer while The Poor Drown.
It is all tragic. Not the least of which is the complicity of some of the Poor People.
We as humans want to place blame on someone so we have someone to be angry at. And I get that. It's not always the most helpful. What I always hope after extreme weather events is that we can step back and figure out the steps we can take to prevent deaths in the future. Realizing that politicizing everything has led us to what we're seeing in many places now with this flood being another example.
I agree. We can't take back what happened, but we should learn from it and figure out how we can do better if/when it happens again. No one is safe from these extreme weather events anymore regardless of where you live. It may not be you this time, but it could easily be you the next time.
I say this knowing there are plenty of good, moral people who live in Texas. That being said, it is almost exclusively run by the worst examples of human beings. People who care only about power, not the citizens of the state. There are so many things, as pointed out by Sharon, that could have saved most or all of these people, yet those in charge didn’t care enough to be bothered. The politicians chose politics over their own constituency’s safety. It’s the trump effect striking again. Karma if you will, but this time children were killed. I’d like to think that Texas will use this tragedy to change their thinking, but it’s been this way there for far too long to expect any real progress.
As an independent voter in Texas I’ve been continually saddened by the Republican antics of the last decades. Notice that these people eagerly accept my private donations after they have squandered opportunities to prevent loss of life.
Since we are the federal taxpayers, it’s folly to insist grant money comes from any particular president. Maybe the signing of IRS funded stimulus checks by a former president has them hoodwinked. I doubt it. I’m increasingly convinced that the hate involved in these decisions prohibits critical thinking and most reasonable thought.
The county at large seems responsible for these deaths. Their actions and words show willful disregard for the lives of the people they encourage to visit and enrich the area tourism. Because I’ve learned that the legal system is the only remedy for harm in the US, I hope a suit holds these officials and voters accountable.
Unfortunately the campers families are of a cohort that frequently upholds this deep red decision-making apparatus.
I grieve for their pain now and fear further pain for all of us to come.
President Donald Trump and his Administration only reacts positively to those states that are favorable in his eyes, preferably blue states. It seems the only response that Kristy Noem has to public response, not in her favor, is "FAKE NEWS". When is this administration going to get THE MESSAGE ???? Start fixing the problems instead of ignoring the problems. WAKE UP !!!
Trump has absolutely no empathy or compassion for the people in Texas. He was unable to speak from the heart and had to have someone write out words of sadness so he could read them without any emotion. A heart of stone
I listened to this podcast and also another one from the Washington Post and neither one of them mentioned this $10 million in funding from the Biden administration that was made available to the county and not used for a flood alert system. It’s strange because I first read this article from Sharon, and now the two podcasts and it seems like the information is conflicting so I don’t know what to believe. For example on the daily podcast, they said the county requested funding 3 times as recently as this year, to address the problem and each time they were denied. Again, no mention of the Biden funding. 🧐
If you look at the underlined words in the article they lead to news articles from various sources that discuss the points made. For instance the Biden portion has a link to an article in the Texas Tribune discussing the Biden funding. It discusses the American Rescue Plan Act as the source of the funds - which is linked to here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319 The funding requested wasn't necessarily denied by FEMA or the federal government. If you read the Texas Tribune Article you'll notice that it was Texas Division of Emergency Management who decided how to spend FEMA funds and denied Kerr County.
As an LA resident who had to escape for a few weeks and watched my friends’ homes burn on TV while Trump called us incompetent and demanded policy concessions for wildfire aid, I can tell you there’s a psychological damage here that goes beyond the physical destruction.
When you’ve lost everything and you’re dealing with insurance adjusters, FEMA paperwork, and finding temporary housing, the last thing you need is your own government taunting you in the headlines.
And the fact that he was calling us incompetent as he signed an executive order making the situation objectively worse - he diverted water resources to Central Valley farms while falsely claiming it would help LA firefighters, even though that water never came close to reaching LA - having to point this out and play politics in that moment was truly demoralizing.
There’s something deeply un-American about making every aspect of life tainted by unforced petty political squabbles, and that’s especially true when it comes to the worst days of people’s lives.
And we don’t even need to get into the irony of Texas politicians calling federal funds evil just because of the political party that secured it for them, knowing that Texas draws $30 billion annually from the federal government more than it pays in, while California pays billions more than it takes. See, now I’m a jerk for talking about petty politics in response to a heartbreaking disaster. But can we please set the record straight about which political party depends on welfare? You can’t base your identity on calling liberals free loaders while your budget is based on handouts from blue states.
Yes! We need to loudly set the record straight. I don't think enough of that is happening. Right now, Noem needs to be called out for not telling the truth about the Federal response. There should be headlines about politicizing aid as happened with the CA fires vs the comment to give TX anything it needs. In fact, if a lack of competence regarding what should have happened in a disaster were a criterion, then TX qualified more than CA.
I also want a side-by-side graphic of Trump's tweets in the hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall last year, accusing Biden of refusing calls from Georgia and North Carolina:
TRUMP: "[Georgia Gov. Kemp has] been calling [Biden], hasn’t been able to get him."
KEMP: "[Biden] offered that if there’s other things we need, just to call him directly, which — I appreciate that." He also clarified this communication happened before Trump's accusation.
And then for North Carolina...
TRUMP: “I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.” When asked for details of which reports he was talking about, he dodged it. Even if there could be truth to the accusation, how could Trump have possibly known this in the hours after the hurricane hit? That accusation would have required a lot of time and analysis to find evidence for.
Contrast that with this exchange from last Friday in Texas...
REPORTER: "Several families we heard from are obviously upset because they say those warnings, those alerts didn’t go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?"
TRUMP: "Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances...Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you. I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that."
Yes, thank you, Nancy. I’m so grateful you led with, “we need to loudly set the record straight.
While the Governerds are generous and contributing to Convoy of Hope, we can do more than one “next needed thing.” We can also loudly set the record straight.
It can make an equally needed impact by helping to prevent future suffering.
Eh, we had records set straight when our ice storm a few years ago hijacked our elect grid. Abbott appointed people OUTSIDE the state of TX as lots of info about lack of maintenance came to light. What happened as a consequence? NOTHING
Jo McEnroe, I’m sorry for the frustration that they intentional weaponize against you. We feel it in MO, too. That’s why we have to hang together. Remember, as a Governerd, Hope is a Choice!
Timothy, thank you for sharing your unique insight as a disaster survivor.
Unfortunately, between climate change and MAGA, it’s only a matter of time before we are all disaster survivors. At least, the lucky ones.
Thank you, Gina! Although just to be clear, calling myself a survivor seems unjustified; my home and possessions were fine, I was just dodging having to inhale the ruins of nearby homes precipitating from the sky, and am fortunate to have family to stay with hundreds of miles away. I got to return a few weeks later and am really fortunate to not have my day to day routine impacted anymore. Meanwhile I know people who weren’t homeowners and didn’t get anything to offset the loss of their apartment, job, community… history shows us that the wealthiest and whitest tend to actually benefit financially from natural disaster relief (in a net positive to their wealth) while everyone else is worse off.
Like you said, this is only going to get more common, homes are going to become uninsurable, and our government looks at disasters as opportunities for political points instead of preparing us for the oncoming crises.
My grandson lives in Los Angeles and works in Pasadena. I am deeply grateful he is ok. The economy has been affected and the stress has been significant. It is hard to see how the combined effects of such Grief, stress and exhaustion of these events won’t affect the structure of our country. Shame on this administration.
Timothy, thank you for clarifying the impact you suffered. Although the trauma is comparatively less, it is still trauma. Just like everyone in a community surviving gun violence is traumatized.
True
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective. 🩶
The contrast of his California vs Texas disaster response is
sickening.
Yes, it is, and it is a typical Trump response. Everything is transactional.
It is never, “how can I help?”
Every situation is, “how can I leverage this to benefit me?”
In this situation, trading recovery funds for voting rights and the environment.
So true and sickening
Randy, he reminds me of Ursula in The Little Mermaid, “all it will cost you is your voice.”
Here’s my question. How outraged are the actual people in Kerr County over all of this flooding and death? These are the same people who refused “dirty” Biden money that would have mitigated this disaster and then, once finally accepted, spent it on things that maybe shouldn’t have been a priority? I’m tired of caring more about the people who are hurt and blinded by their own political ideology than they are for themselves but at some point I really have to walk away. These are adults, after all (although it’s kids now getting killed by their stupidity). I’m still digesting the fact that they refused the money because it came from Biden. I confess that I don’t have my finger on the pulse of the Kerr County vibe but are they even engaging in self reflection? Learning? Anything that wipes away the MAGA blinders? Sickening.
These facts about refusing Biden's money, spending it on other priorities than safety of citizens, should be headlines! Where are the real journalists. If I'm missing these headlines, I'd love to be corrected.
Such a great point. Scares me.
As a blue dot in Texas, I’m going to say most likely not much reflection happening or change in the MAGA blinders!
The failures on so many levels leaves me queasy …. Disaster and survival should not be political nor part of some ridiculous game
All true. We are dealing with people who got caught in a cult (MAGA) and they all in their own demented way our giving America a big fat FU. They won’t educate themselves to realize the people at the top (I call them the yacht 🛥️ people) careless about them. Albeit sickening I get the top tier. The middle tier of supporters are the biggest culprits because they have enough intelligence to know better.
The there is the less educated especially in rural red states who can’t see the forest for the trees.
I’m not. Or would or will ever be a Trump supporter however the fault is in the vast amount of voters who gave a murderer, rapist, scam artist and money swindler……and on and on….. the power to exist. History will show it’s on them.
I miss America
I miss it too. This area of Texas was blood red before MAGA was a twinkle in Trump’s bank account.
Excellent reporting, thank you.
I just want to point out that it's often children who suffer the consequences of this inhumane administration and the poor judgment of their supporters: these children in Texas, kids losing caregivers to ICE raids, loss of public education funding, safety and care for trans kids, starvation due to the shuttering of USAID, etc.
I'm doing what I can, but the rage and heartbreak are overwhelming.
As a Texan who owns property in a county that borders Kerr County, less than 25 miles from the flooding, it infuriates me that Kerr County residents were so foolish to say they didn't want "Biden" money. Geniuses, that is YOUR money! You know the money they take out of every paycheck labeled "FICA"? What do you think thats for? THAT is what "federal money" is, regardless of whether there is a D or an R after the sitting president's name.
And the politicization of natural disasters is beyond disgusting. Humans need help. Are we seriously going to stop and ask who they (or their parents!!) voted for before throwing out a lifeline? Because it seems like thats where we're headed at this point.
To be fair, only a percentage of it is out of their pockets. More of it comes out of the pockets of taxpayers in blue states.
As a Hill Country resident, living about 45 miles from Kerrville, I’ve spent the past several days reading every article I can find on this tragedy. I think there are many layers of blame to be had here from the Camp Mystic decision makers on up to the local, state, and federal officials who all exhibited errors in judgement concerning the events leading up to this particular disaster. Ultimately, a terrible mixture of complacency, greed, tight wallets, and extremely partisan politics all combined to result in the high death toll of this flood. Reluctance to acknowledge climate change and to improve infrastructure to support a rapidly growing population also played roles.
This is the third tragic disaster that has occurred near me since we moved to Texas 6 years ago- the first two being the winter storm of 2021 and Uvalde. Sadly, it’s pretty obvious the local and state government in this state are deeply dysfunctional and the children and families of the state are paying the price— often with their lives. I am hoping for big change in 2026.
Elise, thank you for the detailed information.
It is foreboding that the Project 2025 plans that the Trump administration are carrying out call for local control. In this situation, the county commissioner chose not to invest in an early warning system, local officials chose not to send texts to every cell phone, and Kerr county chose not to issue an evacuation order. It is a cautionary tale.
Of course, the Trump administration was also following the plan in this situation by leaving critical NWS positions vacant, delaying search and rescue responses, leaving calls unanswered, and cutting grants for sirens.
Let’s call this what it is: The Rich get Richer while The Poor Drown.
It is all tragic. Not the least of which is the complicity of some of the Poor People.
In this case the rich have drown. We can only hope for a change of heart.
We as humans want to place blame on someone so we have someone to be angry at. And I get that. It's not always the most helpful. What I always hope after extreme weather events is that we can step back and figure out the steps we can take to prevent deaths in the future. Realizing that politicizing everything has led us to what we're seeing in many places now with this flood being another example.
I agree. We can't take back what happened, but we should learn from it and figure out how we can do better if/when it happens again. No one is safe from these extreme weather events anymore regardless of where you live. It may not be you this time, but it could easily be you the next time.
I am so sad for those who have lost children. My small act was to contribute and to hold them in my prayers.
I say this knowing there are plenty of good, moral people who live in Texas. That being said, it is almost exclusively run by the worst examples of human beings. People who care only about power, not the citizens of the state. There are so many things, as pointed out by Sharon, that could have saved most or all of these people, yet those in charge didn’t care enough to be bothered. The politicians chose politics over their own constituency’s safety. It’s the trump effect striking again. Karma if you will, but this time children were killed. I’d like to think that Texas will use this tragedy to change their thinking, but it’s been this way there for far too long to expect any real progress.
Some of the people I love the most live in Texas. Partisanship lives everywhere and is destructive no matter where it happens.
As an independent voter in Texas I’ve been continually saddened by the Republican antics of the last decades. Notice that these people eagerly accept my private donations after they have squandered opportunities to prevent loss of life.
Since we are the federal taxpayers, it’s folly to insist grant money comes from any particular president. Maybe the signing of IRS funded stimulus checks by a former president has them hoodwinked. I doubt it. I’m increasingly convinced that the hate involved in these decisions prohibits critical thinking and most reasonable thought.
The county at large seems responsible for these deaths. Their actions and words show willful disregard for the lives of the people they encourage to visit and enrich the area tourism. Because I’ve learned that the legal system is the only remedy for harm in the US, I hope a suit holds these officials and voters accountable.
Unfortunately the campers families are of a cohort that frequently upholds this deep red decision-making apparatus.
I grieve for their pain now and fear further pain for all of us to come.
Thank you for this report Elise. How sad that emergencies are now political. How long will it take to undo this administration’s damage?
President Donald Trump and his Administration only reacts positively to those states that are favorable in his eyes, preferably blue states. It seems the only response that Kristy Noem has to public response, not in her favor, is "FAKE NEWS". When is this administration going to get THE MESSAGE ???? Start fixing the problems instead of ignoring the problems. WAKE UP !!!
Trump has absolutely no empathy or compassion for the people in Texas. He was unable to speak from the heart and had to have someone write out words of sadness so he could read them without any emotion. A heart of stone
I thought today's podcast episode on The Daily did a good job covering the complexity of the situation. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/podcasts/the-daily/texas-floods-camp-mystic.html
I listened to this podcast and also another one from the Washington Post and neither one of them mentioned this $10 million in funding from the Biden administration that was made available to the county and not used for a flood alert system. It’s strange because I first read this article from Sharon, and now the two podcasts and it seems like the information is conflicting so I don’t know what to believe. For example on the daily podcast, they said the county requested funding 3 times as recently as this year, to address the problem and each time they were denied. Again, no mention of the Biden funding. 🧐
If you look at the underlined words in the article they lead to news articles from various sources that discuss the points made. For instance the Biden portion has a link to an article in the Texas Tribune discussing the Biden funding. It discusses the American Rescue Plan Act as the source of the funds - which is linked to here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319 The funding requested wasn't necessarily denied by FEMA or the federal government. If you read the Texas Tribune Article you'll notice that it was Texas Division of Emergency Management who decided how to spend FEMA funds and denied Kerr County.
Thanks I’ll go back and revisit the links. I hadn’t noticed the links when I read the article. 🙏