Gov. Glenn Youngkin said his family is safe after spending Friday stranded at their family home along the Guadalupe River in Texas as catastrophic flooding overwhelmed the area.
“My family was there along with friends, and by the grace of God, my family was safe,” Youngkin told a reporter on Tuesday, in remarks his office provided to The Hill.
“I have to say there was moments when they weren’t,” he continued. “They ended up being safe during the day.”
Youngkin was in Virginia when the flash flooding struck Central Texas on Friday, and arrived in Texas later in the day to assist authorities in rescuing his family.
Government officials reportedly offered to airlift his family out earlier in the day, but Youngkin declined, as he had already been in communication with his family and knew they were safe.
He instructed emergency management teams to prioritize rescuing young campers.
“That evening, the swift-water rescue crews and the Texas National Guard were able to go in and get my family,” Youngkin said. “I went with them and was just grateful, incredibly grateful that they were able to do that.”
Youngkin described his family’s decades of connection with the “exact region of the Hill Country” where the flood’s “epicenter” was. He said his wife’s family has been “deeply engaged” there for more than 80 years.
Youngkin announced on Sunday that he was deploying two Virginia Type III Swift Water Rescue Teams to Texas to assist in the recovery efforts.
“Our hearts go out to the families and communities in Texas who have been devastated by these historic floods,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “We stand in solidarity with the people of Texas, and we are committed to offering any and all support requested during this critical time.”
The teams are equipped with specialized equipment and technical rescue gear necessary to navigate treacherous floodwaters. They will work closely with local and state agencies to help search the impacted areas.
