President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are headed to Texas on Tuesday to survey the damage caused from Hurricane Harvey and show their support for Texans affected by the largest natural disaster to hit the state in over a decade.
The president will visit Corpus Christi and Austin, and is expected to address the nation Tuesday afternoon after he analyzes first-hand the state of affairs in the wake of the hurricane-turned-tropical storm. Trump will not visit Houston, where flood waters continue to rise. City officials are still trying to ascertain the extent of the damage caused and the number of citizens that need assistance.
JUST IN: President Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart for Texas pic.twitter.com/2EPAtfe4PY
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 29, 2017
The president immediately directed federal funds on Friday towards the state of Texas, signing a disaster declaration for the state of Texas on Friday and following it up with an emergency declaration for nearby Louisiana on Monday.
“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” the White House said in a statement Friday.
Trump is facing the first natural disaster of his presidency, and his address Tuesday will be closely watched.
Some 3,000 National Guard and Texas State Guard members are serving in the affected areas to help assist the roughly 13 million people directly affected by the storm.
Harvey has caused nine reported deaths, and that figure could still rise as authorities continue to follow up on reports of missing, or stranded, persons. Rainfall in Houston has surpassed 40 inches since Friday alone, leaving roads, bridges and homes completely underwater. In total, 9 trillion gallons of water has fallen on Texas.
Weather forecasts predict another 2 feet of rain to fall through Friday in Texas and Louisiana.
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