Trump meets flood victims as he pays second visit to Texas

United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump met flood victims at a Houston relief centre, amid severe flooding triggered by Hurricane Harvey in Texas in past few days.

President Trump visited Texas and Louisiana on Saturday to inspect the damage of the record-setting storm as flood waters receded in some parts of the storm-ravaged area but the situation remained grim in Beaumont.

Trump, along with Melania, was also accompanied by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and White House chief of staff John Kelly.

So far, Hurricane Harvey has claimed at least 47 lives, and displaced more than 40,000 people in shelters.

 

According to local media reports, Trump took part in food distribution at a shelter, handing out packed lunches, and posed for photographs with victims when they requested it.

First Lady Melania was also seen hugging, smiling, and speaking with victims.

"I think people appreciate what's been done. It's been done very efficiently, very well, and that's what we want. We've very happy with the way things are going. A lot of love. There's a lot of love." Trump said during a tour of a shelter.

He also went to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he met with Louisiana politicians as well as members of the National Guard and Cajun Navy, a grass-roots group that came together after Hurricane Katrina and has helped Texans in Harvey's aftermath, CNN reported.

Trump, who is facing the first natural disaster of his administration, is pressing Congress to release billions of dollars for Harvey response efforts and also expressed hope that the funds will be approved quickly.

Trump's second visit to flood-stricken Texas comes after he was criticised for not meeting with victims and not showing more empathy on his first trip to the region on Tuesday.

The President had earlier said that he was staying clear of the disaster zone as he did not want to hamper rescue efforts.