Former federal officials and outside experts have warned for months that President Donald Trump’s staffing cuts to the National Weather Service could endanger lives.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later began her briefing on the offensive, calling out those who've questioned whether federal cuts to the NWS impacted staffing levels or forecasting abilities as the tragedy unfolded.

The death toll from the devastating floods across central Texas surpassed 90 as dozens of people remain missing. In Kerr County, at least 48 adults and 27 children died, according to officials.

Search teams plodded through mud-laden riverbanks and flew aircraft over the flood-stricken landscape of central Texas for a fourth day on Monday, looking for dozens of people still missing from a disaster that has claimed at least 78 lives.

President Donald Trump said he would travel to Texas on Friday, a trip that will allow him to survey first-hand the devastation from extreme floods that have left at least 100 people dead and scores still missing.

The president confirmed the visit to reporters Monday evening, calling the flooding in Central Texas a "terrible event." Mr. Trump said Sunday that he is planning on going to Central Texas. He said he would have gone Sunday but he would be "in their way,