Texas Lt. Gov. Says 'Faith' Will Get People Through Grieving Following Catastrophic Flooding: 'We're Here For a Short Time'

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said "faith" is what will get people through the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding that left over 120 people dead in the state.

Speaking on Fox News, Patrick said that in "every situation of tragedy, people stand on their faith." "We're here for a short time. They'll be rejoined in heaven with their loved ones they lost. It's painful now."

Patrick went on to say that the state will "get the money from the federal government" and the Greg Abbott administration "will supply money." "We'll improve our warning systems, we'll take care of all of those issues. But it's faith that will get us through this and I'm always inspired by the strength of the people I know," he added.

The statement comes as reports following the flooding show that an affected county rejected federal funds in 2021 that could have helped install a flood warning system, with local officials and residents arguing they didn't want to be "bought" by the Biden administration.

As far back as 2016, officials considered a $1 million siren and gauge system to warn both locals and the flood-prone region's many visitors, the Texas Tribune reported. But despite multiple meetings and FEMA grant applications, funding efforts repeatedly stalled, first due to missing mitigation plans, then due to shifting priorities after Hurricane Harvey.

In 2021, the Biden administration awarded Kerr County $10.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which could have been used for flood prevention infrastructure. But commissioners, facing political pressure from conservative residents, opted not to pursue a warning system.

While the county ultimately kept the funds, they allocated the majority, about $8 million, to sheriff's department upgrades and public employee stipends.

Just $600,000 went to staffing and community amenities. No money was set aside for a flood alert system. On July 4, 2025, the region was hit by flash flooding that raised the Guadalupe River by over 32 feet, killing more than 100 people. Now, survivors and local leaders are demanding accountability.

President Donald Trump, on his end, praised his administration's response to the floods while speaking in Kerrville on Thursday, insisting recovery efforts were "fully funded within minutes."

His comment directly contradicted reports that spending restrictions imposed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delayed federal aid for more than three days.

According to FEMA officials who spoke to CNN, FEMA was unable to deploy critical search and rescue teams until Noem personally approved expenditures exceeding $100,000 — a process that took more than 72 hours after flooding began last week.

By Monday night, FEMA had deployed just 86 staffers to the disaster zone, far fewer than is typical for a disaster of this scale, which has killed nearly 120 people and left over 160 still missing.