Part 8/15:
President Trump declared a major disaster in Kerr County, activating FEMA to aid recovery efforts. Texas Governor Greg Abbott toured the site, describing the scene as “horrendously ravaged.” The timing of the event was particularly poignant: emergency alerts warning of imminent disaster were issued well into the early morning hours on Friday, after the floodwaters had already caused destruction. Experts suggest that earlier evacuation prompts might have reduced casualties, but many residents remained unprepared as the floodwaters arrived suddenly.