Texas floods: Senator Cruz urges unity, cautions against conspiracy theories

Texas Senator Ted Cruz joined Kerr County officials on Monday to address the deadly floods that have swept through Hill Country in Texas, claiming at least 82 lives as of Sunday night. Cruz called the disaster "every parent's nightmare," as many of the victims were children attending summer camps over the Fourth of July weekend.

"You're dropping your little girl off at camp, your little boy off at camp. You're celebrating Independence Day. You know that your child is going to be swimming, and canoes, and horseback riding, and doing archery, and making lifetime friends," Cruz said. "Then suddenly, it turns to tragedy."

>> Camp Mystic confirms 27 campers and counselors killed in Texas flooding

Heroic rescues in Texas amid widespread devastation

In the aftermath of the flooding, more than 850 high-water rescues have been performed by state and federal agencies. Cruz spoke of examples where Eagle Scouts and camp staff were risking their lives to save others. Cruz described one camp counselor holding up two floating mattresses above floodwaters to keep children safe.

"Every time there's a natural disaster in Texas, Texans come together," Cruz said. "100 out of 100 times when that happens. We see Texans coming together, helping each other, and engaging in acts of heroism."

Cruz noted that President Donald Trump pledged full federal support within hours of the disaster unfolding.

Federal and state response to Texas flooding

According to Cruz, emergency resources were deployed quickly following conversations with state leaders and President Trump. Within hours, more than a dozen helicopters were in the air to aid in rescue operations.

"And I will tell you, the president said, 'Ted, anything Texas needs, the answer is yes. Whatever assets you need, whatever resources you need, yes, let us know, and we will provide everything."

>> Death toll in devastating central Texas flash floods climbs to 82, more than 40 remain missing

Did Texans receive early warnings and weather alerts?

Reporters asked Cruz questions regarding the timing of emergency alerts and whether earlier warnings could have prevented some of the loss. While he acknowledged the need for retrospective analysis, he warned against politicizing the tragedy.

"One of the things that's predictable is that you see some people engaging in, I think, partisan games and trying to blame their political opponents for a natural disaster," Cruz said.

Cruz also pointed out that the National Weather Service alerts were issued just after 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., and that the service was fully staffed at the time with additional personnel. The union representing NWS employees has publicly stated that recent budget changes did not impair their performance.

Conspiracy theories about Texas floods

Ted Cruz and local authorities addressed mounting speculation and conspiracy theories related to the floods, including claims of weather modification and man-made interference. While officials acknowledged widespread public interest in the case, they stressed that investigations are rooted in facts.

"To the best of my knowledge, there is zero evidence of anything related to anything like weather modification," Cruz said. "The internet can be a strange place. People can come up with all sorts of crazy theories. What I know is a reality is that a whole lot of Texans are grieving right now."

Cruz asked the public to refrain from spreading conspiracy theories and online harassment, particularly toward grieving families.

Cruz's personal connection to Camp Mystic

Cruz, who noted that his daughters attended Camp Mystic for a decade, defended the long-standing tradition of summer camps in the Hill Country and called Camp Mystic "an incredible Texas institution for a century."

"There's a time to have political fights. There's a time to disagree. This is not that time," Cruz said. "This is a time just to reach out, support each other, go volunteer at the Salvation Army, give them money, go volunteer at your church."

"You know what I did when this happened? Just go hug your kids. Because I gotta tell you, I hugged my girls with tears in my eyes because every one of us who's a parent, there but for the grace of God go I. Nothing will fill the void in these moms' and dads' hearts