Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s family was in Texas during the catastrophic flooding over the holiday weekend, with the lawmaker saying his personal rescue story is among the hundreds from the harrowing weather event.
“My family was there, along with friends, and by the grace of God, my family was safe,” Youngkin told reporters at a Virginia event on Tuesday.
“I have to say, there were moments when they weren’t,” he added of his family’s experience.
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The destructive flooding hit central Texas in the early morning hours of the Fourth of July, causing the Guadalupe River in Kerr County to rise by 26 feet in less than an hour. Search and rescue efforts continue in the region, but as of Tuesday, at least 110 people are believed to be dead and over 160 remain unaccounted for in the hardest hit regions.
The Virginia governor said he and his wife’s family have deep roots in Texas Hill Country, spanning back over 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,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin praised the emergency response efforts from Texas officials as “extraordinary,” saying he accompanied swift water crews and Texas National Guardsmen to rescue his family on Friday.
“From their emergency teams, from the governor, from the Texas National Guard, every resource was deployed,” Youngkin said.
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In the wake of the weather disaster, Youngkin announced on X over the weekend that Virginia would deploy two Type III Swift Water Rescue Teams from Bristol and Virginia Beach “to assist with ongoing rescue efforts.”
“Virginia stands with Texas and we’ll continue to do whatever is necessary to come to their aid,” the governor wrote in a separate post on X.
