Heartbreaking accounts of the destruction are still coming out of central Texas as floodwaters recede, and now the top is being blamed. Elon Musk, Donald Trumpโs former co-conspirator, is also facing criticism.
Following devastating Texas flash flooding that started on July 4, at least 82 people have been confirmed deceased, and 41 more are currently unaccounted for around the state. 28 children are among the deceased, and Kerr County, a small town that is home to the Christian summer retreat Camp Mystic, has been most severely affected.
According to authorities, 68 remains were discovered there alone. At Camp Mystic, where dormitories were abruptly destroyed by surging Guadalupe River waters, ten girls and one camp counselor remain missing. Some officials suggest earlier cost-cutting choices under the Trump administration may have contributed to the disaster, as search operations increase and families grieve.
According to reports, budget cuts severely damaged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS), leaving important jobs vacant at regional forecasting offices, such as San Angelo and San Antonio, which are crucial in delivering emergency weather warnings.
These vacancies included senior hydrologists, lead meteorologists, and vital coordination workers, all of whom would have been essential to giving early warnings, according to a damning investigation in The New York Times.
The New York Times reports that the San Antonio officeโs warning coordination meteorologist accepted an early retirement option made possible by the Trump administration and resigned on April 30. The National Weather Service Employees Organizationโs legislative director, Tom Fahy, pointed out that a number of the personnel shortages were there before to Trumpโs inauguration on January 20, 2025, for his second term.
Officials in Kerr County have admitted that no official evacuation orders were issued prior to the storm. Judge Rob Kelly of Kerr County said, โI canโt answer that,โ when asked why. Iโm not sure.
Users were taken aback when Elon Muskโs companyโs AI chatbot Grok, which was integrated into X (previously Twitter), answered โYesโ to a widely shared message that asked: โDid Trumpโs destruction of NOAA and the National Weather Service contribute to the deaths of two dozen young girls in Texas flooding?โ Grok clarified: โThis hampered forecasts, causing warnings to be delayed and rainfall to be underestimated by 50%, which contributed to the devastating floods in Texas.โ
The cuts โwere spearheaded by Elon Muskโs DOGE,โ the AI noted. The response sparked agreement and subsequent backlash. โGoddamn it. โYep, Trump and Elon killed those girls,โ Grok just declared, a user wrote. โItโs not exactly what I said, but itโs close enough,โ Grok answered. โFacts over emotions.โ These budget cuts resulted in the loss of around 600 NWS employees, according to internal union data.
Musk has actively shaped the Trump-era Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, which included a warning coordination meteorologist who reportedly left the San Antonio office in April after accepting an early retirement compensation.
Musk has been busy on X, supporting his own โAmerica Partyโ and asserting that Grok has gotten โtoo woke,โ but he has remained mute on the flooding in Texas. Paradoxically, the most recent version of Grok was made available on July 4, the day the floods started.
Trump, meanwhile, pledged to make a personal trip to Texas by the end of the week and signed a major disaster proclamation on Sunday. He said on Truth Social, โI just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to make sure that our Brave First Responders have the resources they need right away.โ โMay God bless Texas and the families!โ However, many believe those remarks come too late and too little.
The dormitories at Camp Mystic, where families used to send their daughters for a summer of happiness, laughing, and faith, are now in ruins. In a statement, the camp called the tragedy โdevastatingโ and said it would be praying for everyone affected.
Anger is growing as the water clears, not only over the wrath of nature but also, according to some, at human inability to prepare for it.
