Trump expresses 'anguish of our entire nation' after touring Texas flood devastation

President Trump expressed the “anguish of our entire nation” after he and first lady Melania Trump surveyed the damage of the deadly flooding that tore across Central Texas, killing at least 121 people.

At a roundtable Friday with state, federal and local officials in Kerrville, Texas, Mr. Trump said he’d never seen destruction from a natural disaster like he witnessed after touring the region. He said the torrential rains last week transformed the Guadalupe River into “a monster.”

“We just visited with incredible families that, I mean, look, they’ve been devastated,” Mr. Trump said during the roundtable. “They lost their child, or two children. And it’s just hard to believe. I’ve never seen anything like it, a little narrow river that becomes a monster, and that’s what happened.”

“The first lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation in the aftermath of this really horrific and deadly flood,” Mr. Trump said.

Ahead of the session, Mr. and Mrs. Trump met with families behind closed doors, away from cameras. They also talked with first responders against the backdrop of a firetruck and downed trees.

“We are grieving with you,” Mrs. Trump said at the roundtable, promising to return to Texas and again meet with the families. “Our nation is grieving with you.”

The Trumps’ visit comes a week after heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in less than an hour, killing at least 121, including dozens of children at Camp Mystic, a nearby girls’ summer camp. At least 27 campers and counselors died at Camp Mystic, which has cabins along the river.

During the roundtable, Mr. Trump avoided assigning blame for the response amid criticism from his opponents and others that his administration was slow to respond to the disaster.

“I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances,” he said, calling the flooding a one-in-1,000-years event. “I just have admiration for the job that everybody did. There’s just admiration.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican; Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican; Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem and television personality Dr. Phil McGraw were among those who participated in the roundtable.

More than 170 people are still missing after the flash floods overwhelmed the region in the early morning hours of July Fourth. Drones, rescue teams, and volunteers are sifting through debris hoping to find some of the missing. The majority of deaths, at least 96, took place in Kerr County.

“We’re filled with grief and devastation at the loss of life. And unfortunately, they’re still looking. They’re still looking. There’s a lot of missing children,” Mr. Trump said.