President Obama says the deadly flooding in Oklahoma and Texas is a reminder that it's never too early to prepare for natural disasters. But he says the nation is better prepared than ever for today's storms.
“Not only do we have better information, but we have new mechanisms to disseminate it,” Obama said after receiving his annual hurricane briefing during his first visit to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami. “We’re also focusing on making ourselves more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate.”
This week's storms and floods in Texas and Oklahoma left two dozen people dead and 14 others missing. Obama says a lot of rebuilding will be needed in the two states.
“There’s still going to be some weather events over the next several days that will potentially make things a little tougher for folks,” Obama said. “But I’m confident, obviously, that these communities will ultimately get back on their feet.”
He says the federal government will work to ensure the federal response is "quick" and cuts through bureaucracy.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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