Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says his family were among those saved from the catastrophic flooding in Texas over the weekend which killed over 100 people.
Youngkin said that his wife, Suzanne, and other unnamed family members were stranded at a property near the Guadalupe River when the disaster happened. The couple has four children, however it is not known if they were in Texas at the time.
“My family was there, along with friends, and by the grace of God, my family was safe,” the governor told reporters at an event in Virginia on Tuesday.
“I have to say, there were moments when they weren’t,” he added. “They ended up being safe during the day.”
Youngkin went on to explain he and his wife’s roots in Texas Hill Country, which date back at least 80 years. “These people are family to us, deep relationships, and therefore what happened in the wee hours of the morning on Friday has been devastating,” he said. “The loss of life is just shocking.”
More than 170 people are still believed to be missing in central Texas after the region was devastated by flash-flooding over the July holiday weekend. At least 112 people have died as a result of the floods so far, local officials report, including 28 children who were attending Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp which was struck hardest by the flooding.
An additional 84 deaths have been reported across six counties as the search continues, prompting President Donald Trump to issue a Major Disaster Declaration and deploy the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the area. The president is also expected to visit Texas on Friday.
Youngkin announced over the weekend that he was deploying two Virginia Type III Swift Water Rescue Teams to assist local authorities with ongoing rescue efforts in the region.
“Our hearts go out to the families and communities in Texas who have been devastated by these historic floods,” the governor said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with the people of Texas, and we are committed to offering any and all support requested during this critical time.”
Texas lawmakers have faced mounting pressure over their lack of preparations and response to the unprecedented flooding in the region, which Gov. Greg Abbott dismissed them as the “words of losers” when questioned about the state’s failure to prevent the tragedy.
“Every square inch of our state cares about football,” Abbott told reporters as he deflected questions from reporters about his accountability. “Every football team makes mistakes. We got this. We’re going to make sure that we go score again, that we win this game.”
Republican Rep. Chip Roy, who represents the affected area, also scolded reporters who attempted to hold him responsible and said “finger pointing generally is just offensive when you’re dealing with trying to find bodies, and trying to deal with families grieving.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who continued sightseeing in Greece at the time of the disaster, also lectured critics for “trying to blame their political opponents for a natural disaster.”
