Search continues for missing people in Texas

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Crews are continuing to search for missing people in central Texas after flash flooding left more than 100 dead over the weekend.

Leaders say the priority right now is finding those missing and giving Texas the resources to do that.

Days after deadly flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas officials in Washington say they’re keeping the focus on finding those still missing.

“Right now, it’s just the painful and heartbreaking work of trying to identify the rest of the victims,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas.).

Texas Senator John Cornyn says state and local officials have all the resources they need from the federal government but knows it will be a long road ahead.

“There will need to be a debris cleanup effort which will be massive and probably take years to finally complete,” said Cornyn.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the girls summer camp, Camp Mystic, after the flood where at least 27 children were killed.

“I had walked through the cabin where all those little girls died,” said Noem.

Noem says DHS has already sent funds to the state and FEMA is on the ground, an agency the president previously said he wanted to phase out.

“We’re cutting through the paperwork of the old FEMA, streamlining it, much like your vision of how FEMA should operate, and it’s been a much better response,” said Noem.

President Trump has pledged to the state whatever it needs to recover.  He says he’s hopeful more people are rescued.

“Probably unlikely at this point. But there could be. They’re thinking there could be the possibility. But what a tragic situation,” said Trump.

President Trump is planning to visit Texas Friday. He said he didn’t want the focus this week to be on his travel there.