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The National Hurricane Center has said heavy rain from Harvey is forecast to worsen flooding in Southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana. (Aug. 29)
AP
WASHINGTON — President Trump arrived in Corpus Christi on Tuesday for a two-city tour of hurricane-ravaged Texas in order to make sure the region is “receiving full support and cooperation from the federal government.”
Accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, the president will visit a fire station in Corpus Christi to hear from local first responders and relief agencies. In Austin, he’ll visit the Texas emergency response center and meet with state officials.Â
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One that Trump’s schedule for the day is “fluid” but that Trump would intentionally avoid the areas most impacted by flooding.Â
“The president wants to be very cautious about making sure that any activity doesn’t disrupt any of the recovery efforts that are still ongoing, which is the reason for the locations we are going here today,” she said. “As of right now, I don’t know that we will be able to get to some of the really damaged areas.”
Hurricane Harvey has presented the most severe natural disaster of Trump’s presidency, dropping as much as 40 inches of rain on the Gulf Coast before weakening to a tropical storm on its way to Louisiana. Trump said Monday that he may return to Texas and Louisiana over the weekend.
More: Trump may make multiple visits to hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast
Forecast: Here’s where Harvey is moving next.
Harvey pounds Texas: What we know now
“To the people of Texas and Louisiana: We are 100% with you,” Trump said Monday. “We’ve pledged our full support as Texas and Louisiana battle and recover from this very devastating and historic storm. There’s probably never been anything like this.”Â
Also aboard Air Force One were Chief of Staff John Kelly, the former secretary of Homeland Security, and officials from the Small Business Administration. Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock Long left for Corpus Christi on Monday.
As Trump was in the air, Vice President Pence took to the airwaves, continuing a blitz of radio and television interviews with local stations in the region.Â
“We know we’re not out of the woods,” he told KKTX-AM in Corpus Christi. “People within the sound of my voice should know that this is still a dangerous storm.”
The trip comes as Trump is also juggling the North Korea crisis. He has scheduled a phone call with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong aboard Air Force One.
Asked by reporters how he’ll respond to the regime’s latest missile test while boarding Marine One, Trump said, “We’ll see, we’ll see.” In an earlier statement, he said, “All options are on the table.”

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