Speaker 1 (00:00):
Greg Abbott (00:36):
Well, thank you everybody for gathering with us here today, and we are especially pleased to have with us today Secretary Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security, who will share with you a lot of information herself. Before I do pass the mic to her, there are several things that I want to announce as well as some things to share. First, what I have observed in this community over the past 24 hours is what I call quintessential Texas. When Texans face a challenge, we come together, we unite, and that's exactly what's happened over the past 24 to 48 hours in this community. Nothing more than extraordinary devastation, and the worst thing that could have happened to this community fell upon it. They could have fallen apart, they could have fought against each other, but instead they understand the importance of unity. That's what Texans do, is what we will continue to do.
(01:46)
Along those lines, something else to double down on what I said last night. We will be relentless in going after and ensuring that we locate every single person who's been a victim of this flooding event. We're not going to stop today or tomorrow. We will stop when the job is completed. Between now and whenever that day arrives when the job is completed, this is a 24/7 operation day and night because we know that we are looking for Texans and Americans, and we put them as our top priority. We will find every one of them. Additionally, I want to let you know that overnight there was an increase in storm damage and rainfall and flooding in other regions of the state of Texas that were in addition to the ones that were in the disaster declaration that I made yesterday. What I'm going to sign today is an expanded disaster declaration that adds the following counties to what I signed yesterday. This disaster declaration includes Bexar County, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis, and Williamson Counties.
(03:25)
We will continue to add counties as needed, as conditions either worsen or improve in counties across the state of Texas. We will ensure that every asset and resource the state has is going to be made available to every county that's the subject of this disaster declaration.
(03:45)
Also, I've had the opportunity to visit not just with Secretary Noem, but other officials in the Trump administration, and we know that President Trump, he loves Texas, for one. He's deeply concerned about all the families who've been affected, but also knows about the magnitude of the devastation that we're suffering. And so what I'm about to sign now is going to be the first step in a process. This document is a request for a federal disaster declaration coming from the governor to seek the immediate and ongoing help of the federal government. I want to express my gratitude in advance to President Trump for his entire administration, for their devotion to the state of Texas. He always tells me about his love for the people of the state of Texas, his deep concern for them, and I know that he's feeling that now as much as he ever has. And there's no better way to show that than the fact that he wanted to ensure that he and his entire administration was represented here today by Secretary Kristi Noem, to whom I would like to turn things over at this time.
Secretary Kristi Noem (05:09):
Well, thank you. Thank you everyone for being here today, and I want to thank Governor Abbott for his leadership and know that President Trump is absolutely heartbroken by what has happened here in Texas, and the loss of life is absolutely devastating to him and Melania. This morning, I talked with him several times and he wanted to make sure that all of you know how much he loves Texas, how much he's grieving for your families that have lost someone, and the beautiful children that we're still looking for and hoping to return to their families. And that he is absolutely committed to using all the resources that the federal government to help unify families, rescue all those that are still missing and return those who maybe we will recover back to their families as soon as possible, and that we will be here walking alongside each other and helping throughout this entire crisis.
(06:02)
And know that I'm extremely grateful as well for the leadership of Nim Kidd, who's a fantastic emergency operations manager and has been well known throughout this country for leading through such a time as this. And this tragic situation is something that is unprecedented. We recognize that at the federal level. We also recognize that when something like this happens to a community, happens to a state, that the best responders are those locally because it's your family members, it's your community members that are being impacted, and you can respond quickly. And the role of the state is to run and manage that emergency. But the federal government needs to be here for the support and extra resources on the ground as well. And that is what we are doing and what President Trump has dedicated to continue to do. I've visited with the president already about this federal disaster declaration that the governor was going to sign here this morning, and he has indicated that he will honor that and that he will accept that, so that response and that relief will be coming.
(07:04)
And we also have had assets here on the ground since the beginning of this crisis started, since this weather event did start, and even before it came, we were alerted. We did have Coast Guard assets here that were helping to rescue people. We're thankful for the airframe that showed up and those coasties that were here, walking alongside our DPS and the emergency responders that were here, the Texas assets that were deployed already. And that coordination was seamless and I appreciate them for putting that request in right away. We also had our BORTAC team from Customs and Border Protection out here helping with rescues. They're a specialized trained force to come in these types of situations and bring their skillset to bear, that is a resource that's incredibly important to the Department of Homeland Security, but also in these types of situations when we need emergency management response.
(08:01)
We also did have a CBP advisory interdiction specialist here that was helping with some coordination of error assets that has been present. And then we are looking at the other entities that are under the department, what can be utilized, and of course, FEMA's standing at an enhanced level right now, which means that they are plugged into the state operations center. We are engaged. And then as this response goes forward, that their role will continue to be filled as it always is in these situations and will be timely and responsive as to what the governor requests and what is needed here on the ground. I do know that the state of Texas is amazing in how it responds to disasters. Not every state is like that. Many states do not do what the people of Texas do, and you are an example to the nation of getting through these difficult times, but also know that you're not alone, that you have the entire country's
Secretary Kristi Noem (09:00):
… Tree's hearts and are with you, and are walking alongside you. And at the department, we will continue to bring more resources. We just, at the request of a previous conversation less than an hour ago, in visiting with him and with the governor, requested more fixed wing aircraft from Coast Guard to come and help us, making sure that we're going out and locating individuals as fast as possible that we know are still missing, and that we also will send more air frame as far as helicopters, that have the ability to come in. And some will be equipped, and the fixed wings, with thermal, so they can continue to work all night long. Some of the assets that other agencies may offer don't have that kind of equipment, but the Coast Guard does have it. And so, that will be deployed, so that the search and rescue efforts don't stop, even when it does get dark at night.
(09:46)
We'll continue to stay engaged and I'll be here, I'm going to go up to the Camp Mystic and I'm going to go around town, and spend some time here today and make sure that when I am calling, and talking to the president throughout the day, that he has timely information, that the requests that are coming here from the leadership on the ground are met immediately, and that we can take care of these families and take care of these folks right away. We do know the number one priority now is people, is making sure we're finding people as fast as possible and we're returning them to their families. And then also, throughout the process we'll get into what damage was done to public infrastructure, what may have been done to… I know we have 1800 people that are still without power, and what I understand is people still have water, but we do have damage to bridges and to roads. Thankfully dams held.
(10:37)
But all of that is an assessment that we'll continue to work with you on to make sure that you recover as quickly as possible. So again, thank you all for being strong and being an example for people there. Someone told me a long time ago, over 30 years ago to never get angry on behalf of yourself, get angry on behalf of the other people, to always go out and get up every day, and go work for other people and help them. And so, I know many of you that are out there responding and helping your neighbors had losses too. You're hurting, because you're somebody that may have been lost. We were created to serve people. God created us to serve each other, and now is a wonderful time to go find somebody you can help, somebody that you can take care of and get them through this process, and that will make us stronger and better into the future. So our prayers are with you. President Trump wants you to know that he and Melania are praying for you, and love you. With that, I'll turn it back over to the governor.
Greg Abbott (11:39):
Sure. Well, thank you very much. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for the assets and resources you and the Trump administration are providing. One thing that Secretary Noem mention was the fact that recoveries and rescues are being made. And what has happened over the past 36 hours is really amazing. When you look at what the local officials have done, working in collaboration with multiple state agencies, as well as their federal partners. In 36 hours, they have rescued or recovered more than 850 people, some clinging to trees to save their lives, others in other precarious situation. It's just sheer heroism the way that we've seen our first responders rescued so many people. And now, I would like to turn things over to Senator John Cornyn.
John Cornyn (12:34):
My thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem for responding so quickly to Governor Abbott's request for a federal disaster declaration. And particularly Madam Secretary, thank you for being here in person. It's really important and I think sends a very important message. Unfortunately, I've been to a number of disasters over the years, across the state of Texas, as has the Governor and none of these get any easier. But I have to tell you, I remain incredibly impressed with Governor Abbott's leadership and the incredible work that the Texas Department of Emergency Management, under the leadership of Nim Kidd do. They are literally the best in the nation. And what Secretary Noem said about other states not responding as well is true. It's something we should be very proud of and grateful for, particularly at a time like this.
(13:34)
And then there are the men and women who are standing behind us here, who have been doing the work on the ground, not waiting for the federal government to show up. They've been getting the work done as the governor pointed out. And we are all together. We are praying for those who have lost loved ones and are grieving. We are celebrating with those who have been reacquainted with and rejoined with their family members. And a few years ago, the governor will remember this up in West Texas after a terrible disaster, a county Commissioner there said something to me that I think is appropriate at a time like this. He said, "Being from Texas is not just about where you're from, it's who your family is."
(14:29)
And so, when things like this happen, we come together as a family, as Texans in a way that I'm very proud of. But it's very important, because this is who our family is and we owe it to them. And I take the governor at his word that he and his team will be relentless in supporting all of the efforts at the local and the federal level until every last person is accounted for and those families are reunited with their loved ones. But Governor, thank you again for your leadership. Secretary Noem, it means a lot to us for you to be here. And we appreciate Governor Abbott and Chief Kidd, but we appreciate President Trump and you responding so quickly to the Governor's request for disaster declaration. Thank you very much.
Greg Abbott (15:22):
Thank you. And now, Congressman Chip Roy.
Chip Roy (15:27):
Thank you, Governor. Thanks all of you for being here. Before I was crazy enough to run for Congress, but my family and I started a tradition of coming down to Kerrville for 4th of July and we've been coming here every summer since my kids were little. They're now 14 and 15, to see Robert Earl and whoever else was playing. And pictures been popping up my phone, the ones that kick on the anniversary of different shows, a bunch of different shows over the last decade. It hits home. It really does. It hits personally for those of us for whom this is… [inaudible 00:16:02]
(15:59)
… What they've been doing in the face of this disaster, your city manager has done an extraordinary job. Your sheriff has done an extraordinary job. I could go down the list of everybody and I'll leave somebody out, but I can't say enough about what they've done. And then, I can't say enough about the governor and about Nim, and about the leadership that has come from the state and from DPS, and from TDEM to get this done and to do what we're in the process of still doing to react to this unfortunate circumstance. It's been professional and it's been extremely well done. And I have to say, the secretary yesterday, I reached out to her office, I think it might be 15 minutes later that I got a call from the secretary immediately responding to requests. I talked to Nim about the need for Army Corps support and some other stuff, immediately talked to the secretary about it. The collaboration, the teamwork, local, state, and federal, I cannot overstate the extent to which everybody set aside turfs or any of those kinds of things to deliver for the people of Texas.
(17:15)
Now we're far from having finished the job. We're all here knowing that we still have work to do. We're still prayerful, we're still hopeful. Obviously there's a lot here that we're dealing with, but I'm deeply appreciative for that coordination. And last point that I'll just make is, and I've said this a little bit earlier this morning, there's going to be a lot of finger pointing and a lot of second-guessing, and Monday morning quarterbacking. And I just want pick up on what I think the governor said about 850 something individuals that were moved quickly in this circumstance, and in a once-in-a-century flood, where you get 12, 14 inches, where you get a 26 to 30 foot increase in water in the course of an hour and a half, at four to six o'clock in the morning on a holiday. And that's what we're dealing with in these circumstances
Chip Roy (18:00):
Answers, and where those camps are. There's a lot of people saying why and how, and I understand that, and I understand why parents would be asking those questions, and all of the media. But where we are right now in terms of what we've done to be able to protect people, move them, get them out of the camps, and the heroic efforts of people that worked in those camps, directors of the camps, people who own the camps, who not just risked their lives, gave their lives to try to go save the lives of those kids, that's who they are as Texans. I'm so proud of that, and I'm so proud of the work that everyone's done to do that, and now, we've just got to finish the job and be with the people, and importantly, pray for the families who have lost their loved ones.
Greg Abbott (18:40):
Thank you. Now, Kerr County Judge Kelly.
Judge Kelly (18:44):
Yes. I think I'm the only one at this table that lives on the Guadalupe River. Our properties were devastated, and I barely got home yesterday. I started my morning ushering in a crew with a skid steer and two dump trailers, three trucks, nine men to start trying to rebuild what went down the river. I then had the opportunity to come here, where I was asked to go over to the funeral home. I had issues over there. I am a 50-year lawyer and a mediator, and arbitrator, and we had some issues that needed attention. I got to see firsthand many of the body bags, and it breaks my heart.
(19:47)
Coming back from that, we had an opportunity to go on a helicopter ride with the senator and the mayor, and inspect the devastation. We flew all the way up the South Fork, all the way to Crider's, and you can see what's happened, and it's going to be a long time before we're ever going to be able to clean it up, much less rebuild it. There's nothing on the other side of Crider's. It's just hill country, and we didn't know. We know we get rains, we know the river rises, but nobody saw this coming. What I really have to report to you is, it was a godsend to be able to get out of the helicopter, walk back into this building and sit down with these people, and cooperate arm in arm, hand in hand to do the best we can to work the process. The rescue has gone as well as can be expected. It's getting time now for the recovery, and that's going to be a long, Toilsome task for us. What I would reiterate that I've heard others say is, as long as we stay together, we'll get this done. Thank you.
Greg Abbott (21:14):
Thank you very much. Now, Mayor Herring.
Mayor Herring (21:16):
I want to start off by saying thank you on behalf of the city of Kerrville and our 25,000 citizens. I want to say thank you to the federal government, the state government, county government. As I look around the room in the Emergency Operations Center, I don't see different agencies from the state, the federal, the county. I see one team working together. It's important for our community to know it's one team. We will rescue those in peril, and we will find those who are lost. I continue to ask everyone who sees this day to pray for Kerrville and Kerr County. We need your prayers, and thank God we have the help of the federal government and the state government in this horrible, horrible crisis. Thank God for our country, and thank God for all the help we are receiving today. Thank you.
Greg Abbott (22:37):
Now, TDM Chief Nimkit.
Chief Nimkit (22:40):
Thank you, Governor. My heart breaks. It's broken for those families that have lost their loved ones, and that fuels our drive to continue to search for them, and we will not stop until we find every one of them. I have to start by thinking our local first responders. Those men and women on the streets live here, they work here, their families are here, yet they got on the truck and they got in the car and they got in the ambulance and they went out and they did everything they could to save their neighbors. You also have volunteers all over this county that do the job for free, that were out there working to save lives, many times putting their own lives and their property at risk. Our state partners have been phenomenal, nothing short. Madam Secretary, your federal team has been nothing short of remarkable and impressive. I'm grateful for that. Every time I've reached out to you or your staff or acting Administrator Richardson or the acting Regional Administrator, I don't think the phone has rang twice before you've answered. Thank you for doing that. Thank you for being here with us.
(23:37)
Life safety continues to be our number one priority. We will continue the search until all those that are missing or found. We will start cleanup and property damage assessments as soon as possible. Our teams from FEMA have been in the State Emergency Operations Center since before we started operating on this event. They're exactly where we need them to be, doing exactly what we need them to be doing. Our Border patrol partners have been here, and I'm so grateful for the U.S. Coast Guard. Acting Administrator. Richardson and Regional Administrator Stoller have been great partners to us, we continue to work forward.
(24:08)
If I may, I'd just like to run across a few more of the numbers. 1,331 state additional personnel that have been added to this response on top of all your local responders, over 906 state assets here. That's 125 from our agency, 172 from the Urban Search and Rescue team at Texas Task Force One. Over 160 from the Department of Public Safety over 250 from the Texas Department of Transportation, 170 from the Texas Wildlife Department, Military Department 136, and the A&M four service here with 115 and almost 190 people on the health and medical side. Governor, our team stands ready to assist this community.
Greg Abbott (24:46):
Thank you very much. One last thing, and that is, there is a word that's been the most common word that's been spoken over the past 36 hours, and that is the word prayer. It's been repeated by the people who are watching this as we speak right now. It's repeated often on social media, through phone calls, through texts, and those prayers are answered in so many ways. Answered by that child who was being swept down the river and happened to find a tree to cling on and was able to continue with uncommon strength to be able to remain clinging to that tree until a helicopter was able to descend upon her and lift her out of that harrowing situation. It could have been the reason why water stopped rising into a home or a cabin, or something that would've caused an entire building to float away.
(25:44)
It could be the reason why there have been so many people had been located wherever they were down the river basin. It could be something that prevented somebody from getting into the water to begin with. All we know is that prayer does work. Your prayers have made a difference. We ask for continued prayers as we continue our efforts to locate everybody who's been affected by this. Pray so much for the families who have lost a loved one, who are going through challenging times that they never imagined, on the 3rd of July that something like this would happen. Prayer matters, and we thank God Almighty. God has blessed Texas and will continue to bless our great state. We'll take a few questions.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Have the numbers changed, 27 dead and 27 missing from canvassing?
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Sure. What I can tell you is, there's still 27 missing. We have recovered some additional bodies at this time we're trying to identify at this time. What I can tell you, an update, there's 32 deceased, 18 of those are adults and 14 are children. Five of the adults remain unidentified
Speaker 5 (27:00):
And three children remain unidentified. We are still working on that at this time. As I'd said earlier this morning, the numbers are going to continue to change, they're going to continue to change until we're done. It's been a very good day as far as being out there and being able to do some things and we've got a lot done.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
Chief, early on there was a lot of conflicting information about the search, about the number of fatalities, the missing, even a lot of families and parents were rightly concerned and more importantly confused about all this information. We just heard the judge referred to this as a shift from rescue to recovery. Can you clarify what that means? Are we talking about these missing people no longer believed to be alive?
Chief Nimkit (27:45):
You'll need the judge to answer that piece. Our state assets and local partners are continuing to search for live victims.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
Is there any indication that there are still people out there alive? Any evidence?
Chief Nimkit (27:58):
History would tell us that after a certain time period, those chances diminish and we can talk about all of the numbers and the metrics on that. Our hope and prayer is that there are still people alive that are out there and we are still actively searching for them and we will continue. And listen, that will turn into recovery at some point and none of us want to put a time period on that right now. But, when you talk to the men and women that are up there in those helicopters and out in those boats and walking the ground, they're looking for live people right now and doing everything they can to continue this search as fast as possible.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
And Judge, just a moment to clarify because we want to be very clear with, especially families and parents that are watching this, what makes you feel like this has gone from rescue to potential recovery? Is there is a difference?
Speaker 10 (28:40):
We will eventually get to the recovery.
Speaker 8 (28:42):
Two more questions.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
What does the search effort look like now-
Greg Abbott (28:45):
We're going to do more than two more questions. I want to say this.
Speaker 6 (28:49):
Yes, sir.
Greg Abbott (28:49):
My instruction to every state agency involved in this is to assume everybody who is missing is alive and there's a need for speed. Not just every hour, every minute counts, which is why there's people in the air, people in the water, people on the ground right now because they're looking to save every last live and we will not give up that effort.
Speaker 8 (29:09):
Two more questions.
Speaker 9 (29:15):
[inaudible 00:29:13] why was the National Weather Service not cleaning their phones before seven o'clock the day of 4th of July? Maybe the federal people can answer that maybe for us. I got updates at seven o'clock. First one I heard and I've heard updates throughout the week, but not before seven o'clock in the morning. Wasn't that a fundamental failure of the federal government's responsibility to the state?
Secretary Kristi Noem (29:40):
Well, my background is before I was in the secretary position here into the Trump administration, I was governor of South Dakota and served in Congress for eight years before I was governor. And so I will tell you that for decades, for years, everybody knows that the weather's extremely difficult to predict, but also that the National Weather Service over the years at times has done well and at times we have all wanted more time and more warning and more alerts and more notification. That is something and one of the reasons that when President Trump took office that he said he wanted to fix and is currently upgrading the technology. And the National Weather Service has indicated that with that and NOAA, that we needed to renew this ancient system that has been left in place with the federal government for many, many years and that is the reforms that are ongoing there.
(30:28)
The timeline that I have, I don't oversee the National Weather Service, that's not under my department, but the timeline that I did receive from them was that the notifications started to look at its expansion for its limited flood impacts area that started on July 3rd at 1:18 PM. The flood watch was issued, although it was moderate, it wasn't to the extremes that it was that when this system came over the area that it stalled, it was much more water, much like I think we experienced during Harvey, the same type of system that was unpredictable in the way that it reacted, in the way that it stopped right here and dumped unprecedented amounts of rain that caused a flooding event like this.
(31:08)
They continued to elevate and up their notifications. When your notification hit your phone, sir, I'm sorry, I can't speak to when that is, but I do carry your concerns back to the federal government and to President Trump and we will do all we can to fix those kinds of things that may have felt like a failure to you and to your community members. But we know that everybody wants more warning time and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected by far too long to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible.
Speaker 8 (31:42):
One more question folks.
Speaker 11 (31:43):
[inaudible 00:31:43] to the search efforts and where that's happening, what the challenges are?
Chief Nimkit (31:49):
Question was search efforts?
Speaker 11 (31:50):
Where it's happening, challenges, what it's looking like?
Chief Nimkit (31:53):
Yeah. The entire river is being searched from the northernmost impact all the way as we run down. You have assets in the air that are still doing searches. You have boats that are in the water doing searches and you have ground crews doing searches as the water recedes, new areas being uncovered in searched, and you have human and canine that are working those banks and will continue. It's a grid situation where we've got maps in there in the EOC where you can see what group is assigned to what area and reporting back to command if they find or if they continue to clear and that process is going to keep going. We are not stopping until we find everyone that's missing.
Speaker 11 (32:28):
Are there any challenges?
Speaker 8 (32:29):
Thank you everyone. That's all we got time for?
Chief Nimkit (32:31):
Go ahead.
Speaker 12 (32:31):
[inaudible 00:32:34] as far as the resources and people [inaudible 00:32:37] recovery, we have FEMA and we have the state. What can we depend on from the federal government and the state government [inaudible 00:32:44]?
Secretary Kristi Noem (32:45):
Well as in every emergency situation, the local emergency responders put together what the request is through the state and the state coordinates all of the response and what assets may be necessary and makes a request to us. So now that the governor has already requested this federal disaster declaration, they will start to tell us what the needs are and the federal government will do all that we can to support.
Speaker 12 (33:09):
Ma'am, will there be direct assistance?
Secretary Kristi Noem (33:09):
Well, there already has been direct assistance. I mean, when you look at having Coast Guard assets here on the ground, we just requested more assets to be here, border patrol here. If there's more individuals and federal law enforcement officers, if we need. Any assets that I may have under my purview, I've made available to him. And so he knows that if he needs something, it'll be here.
Chief Nimkit (33:31):
Great. Thank y'all.
Speaker 8 (33:31):
Thank you everyone. Appreciate it. Thank you folks.