Donald Trump has told Texans “good luck” as they prepare to be battered by Hurricane Harvey.
“Good luck to everybody” Mr Trump said at the White House when asked by a reporter if he had a message for the people of Texas.
With Hurricane Harvey, now a Category 3 storm, barreling toward the Texas coast, Mr Trump could be critically tested over the next few days on how his administration handles a natural disaster.
The hurricane is expected to make landfall on Friday evening.
Hurricane Harvey is set to be the first Category 3 hurricane to hit the US in 12 years, and the government has warned that the flooding and wind speeds caused by the storm are expected to be “life-threatening and devastating”.
Several US agencies in charge of handling natural disasters – including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – currently have no permanent leaders.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the US Coast Guard, is currently being led by acting secretary Elaine Duke since Mr Trump selected his original secretary, General John Kelly, to be his chief of staff.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders expressed confidence in Ms Duke's ability to manage the federal government’s response to Hurricane Harvey.
“There's certainly someone at the helm,” Ms Sanders said during her Friday press briefing, referring to Ms Duke. “And again, I think that we are in great shape having General Kelly sitting next to the President throughout this process, and probably no better chief of staff for the president during the hurricane season.”
“The President has been briefed and will continue to be updated as the storm progresses, and certainly something he's very aware of and will keep a very watchful eye on, and stands ready to provide resources if needed,” Ms Sanders added.
