The weather service issued both a flash flood watch and a flash flood warning before the incident.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on July 7 that the National Weather Service had a full staff on hand to handle the Central Texas flooding over the weekend.
The Department of Homeland Security has updated the death toll from the flooding to 91 victims, Leavitt said, and the Trump administration is working “hand in glove with state and local officials to provide every assistance available,” she added.
Leavitt criticized what she called “falsehoods” from Democrats such as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who have blamed cuts to the National Weather Service for loss of life in the area, saying that is a “depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.”
Schumer on Monday called for a probe to determine whether staffing vacancies at the National Weather Service contributed to “delays, gaps, or diminished accuracy” in forecasting the flooding.
The press secretary said that the National Weather Service in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, conducted their forecast briefings for emergency management and issued a flash flood watch and flash flood warning the night before the incident.
“The National Weather Service office in New Braunfels, which delivers forecasts for Austin, San Antonio, and the surrounding areas, had extra staff on duty during the storms, despite claims of the contrary,” Leavitt said.
She added that ”any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event should be deeply ashamed.”
Leavitt went on to say that the administration has a focus on ensuring that victims and their communities receive support during recovery efforts.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Schumer for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
