Texas Floods Claim 80 Lives; Blame and Questions Follow<\/strong><\/p>\n Devastating floods in Texas, particularly along the Guadalupe River, have killed over 80 people after waters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes. Among the victims were at least 27 girls and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, which was hit during the Fourth of July weekend.<\/p>\n The camp released a statement mourning the loss and confirming that search efforts for missing girls continue, asking for privacy and prayers.<\/p>\n The storm dumped four months\u2019 worth of rain in hours, catching many off guard. Some Texas officials criticized the National Weather Service (NWS) for underestimating the rainfall and failing to communicate the danger clearly. However, NWS staff and independent meteorologists said their forecasts and warnings were as accurate as possible, blaming challenges in real-time data and last-mile communication.<\/p>\n Staffing gaps at the San Antonio NWS office \u2014 missing its science officer and warning coordination meteorologist \u2014 raised further concerns, though officials insist there were enough meteorologists to respond effectively.<\/p>\n The debate also turned political. President Donald Trump, speaking in New Jersey, dismissed claims that his administration\u2019s cuts to the NWS contributed to the disaster. He called it a \u201cBiden setup,\u201d though added, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t blame Biden either. This was a 100-year catastrophe.\u201d<\/p>\n Elon Musk, overseeing parts of federal restructuring, and Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, were also mentioned in federal response efforts. It remains unclear whether Trump will visit the flood site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Texas Floods Claim 80 Lives; Blame and Questions Follow Devastating floods in Texas, particularly along the Guadalupe River, have killed over 80 people after waters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes. Among the victims were at least 27 girls and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, which was hit during the Fourth…<\/p>\n