Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday said the floods in Houston are so bad that they’re preventing him from traveling with other officials to Corpus Christi, Texas to survey some of the damage left by Hurricane Harvey.
“Due to continuing rain and flooding in Houston, I regret that roadways are blocked and I will be unable to travel out of the city to join Gov. [Greg] Abbott, Sen. [John] Cornyn, and other state and local officials down in Corpus Christi this afternoon,” Mr. Cruz said in a statement.
The Texas Republican said he will stay in Houston and work with federal, state, and local officials to provide relief to people affected by the storm.
Mr. Cruz said he’s grateful for the leadership that local and state officials have shown in the preparation and aftermath of the devastating storm, and that he’s thankful for assurances from President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that “full federal assistance” is ready for the recovery process.
“When I spoke with the president, he just said, ’Ted, what do you need? What does the state need?’” Mr. Cruz said in a Fox News interview from the George R. Brown Convention Center, which has been set up to receive people who have been dislocated.
“This is an incredibly challenging time for my hometown of Houston, for the entire state,” he said. “A lot of people are hurting.”
Mr. Cruz urged residents to stay out of harm’s way, and to avoid going to their attics if water levels were rising unless they had an ax or something to get through to the roof. He said people shouldn’t drive unless absolutely necessary.
“People are hurting, but at the same time I got to tell you it is inspirational to see Texans just coming together, giving sacrificially,” he said.
“This is a time of crisis. We need prayers. We need support,” he said. “But we’re also coming together and we’re immensely grateful for that.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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