The White House is defending the National Weather Service and accusing some Democrats of playing politics in the wake of devastating floods in Texas.

Key positions at National Weather Service offices across Texas are vacant, sowing doubt over the state’s ability to respond to natural disasters as rescuers comb through the flood-ravaged Hill Country.

NWS says Flash Flood Warnings were issued on July 3 and early July 4 in Central Texas, giving more than three hours of warning.

In areas that see rainfall and increased cloud cover, temperatures are expected to remain below seasonal averages into next week, providing some relief from the summer heat. However, much of central and southern Texas, areas in the recovery phase from the catastrophic flooding, will face dangerous heat instead of renewed flooding.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut hundreds of jobs as the National Weather Service earlier this year.

After the death toll in the catastrophic flash floods in Texas reached at least 104 people, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all girls camp, the Trump administration is explaining the series of warnings that were issued ahead of the floods.

In the wake of the central Texas flash flooding, after local officials pointed fingers at the National Weather Service for its alerts and forecasts, the agency responded: The NWS alerts gave several hours of lead time,

What were the National Weather Service forecasts? Why is it so hard to know where rain will fall? Did staff reductions at the weather service and other budget cuts by the Trump administration contribute to the catastrophe?