'100-year catastrophe': Trump deflects blame, calls Texas flash flood 'Biden setup' as toll crosses 80

US President Donald Trump, on Sunday, labelled the floods in Texas a "100-year catastrophe" that "nobody expected", as he brushed off concerns that his administration's federal budget cuts to weather and emergency agencies had worsened the disaster. The US president also said that he would "probably" visit Texas on Friday. Rescue efforts intensified across central Texas on Sunday after the death toll rose to at least 82 people, including 28 children, and left dozens missing, many swept away from a summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River.

The death toll will get worse: Texas public safety chief

Texas officials confirmed at least 40 adult deaths in Kerr County alone, the epicentre of what some are calling the worst flood disaster in state history. Meanwhile, at least 10 were killed by flooding in nearby areas. The death toll is expected to rise further, according to Texas Public Safety Director Freeman Martin, as 41 people remain unaccounted for statewide.

"You will see the death toll rise today," Martin said grimly at a press conference. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in a statement, revealed that "Across the state, in all the areas affected by flooding, there are 41 known missing."

Trump blames Biden, yet again

Speaking on Sunday, President Donald Trump brushed aside criticism that federal budget cuts to weather, and emergency agencies had worsened the disaster. As questions grow about why the public was not warned sooner or why people were not evacuated from the area known to be popular with campers, Trump sought to deflect the blame and claimed that the situation was a "Biden setup". "That was not our setup," Trump said when asked about warnings that failed to reach campers in time. He claimed the situation was a "Biden setup," despite having been in office for around six months.

When probed about staff and budget cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS), and his efforts to dismantle FEMA, he said: "FEMA is something we can talk about later." When asked if he would rehire forecasters, Trump responded flatly: "Not." Trump, who has pushed for state-led disaster relief, also signed a major federal disaster declaration, unlocking limited federal aid to the flood-ravaged state.

Camp Mystic: Children washed away as river rose 26 feet in 45 minutes

Among the most heart-wrenching stories to emerge is the fate of at least ten girls and one counsellor who are still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp where 750 people were staying when the floods hit early Friday. According to AFP, in a terrifying display of nature's power, the river rose to the treetops and roofs of the cabins at Camp Mystic as the girls slept. The Guadalupe River surged 26 feet (eight meters) in just 45 minutes, inundating homes, cabins, and roads. The bodies of some campers have already been found, lodged in trees downstream. Rescuers—including 17 helicopters and hundreds of ground teams—continue to scour the area. Search crews found at least three bodies on Sunday, including one girl from the camp.