
President Donald Trump backed off his claim that Texas would be 'up and running very, very quickly' after Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday afternoon.

The president mused during a briefing at the Texas Department of Public Safety that the flood waters in southern Texas, which has seen record-breaking rainfall, might never recede.

'Nobody's ever seen this much water. The wind was pretty horrific, in particular, but the water has never been seen like this, to this extent. And it's, maybe someday going to disappear. We keep waiting,' Trump said this afternoon in Austin.

His wife soon followed with an official statement of her own.

'The effects of Hurricane Harvey will be felt in Texas, Louisiana, and other parts of the country for many months and years to come,' she said.

Areas east of Houston, Texas have been drenched with more than 50 inches of rain. The storm continues to hover over southeastern Texas and parts of southwestern Louisiana.

Earlier, Trump told a crowd of Texans who'd lined up outside a Corpus Christi firehouse he was visiting that the recovery effort is 'going well' and his administration is 'here to take care of you.'

'We love you. You are special,' the president said to cheers from onlookers. 'This is historic, it's epic, what happened, but you know what, it happened in Texas. Texas can handle anything.'

The president held up the Texas flag as he delivered the impromptu remarks to the throng of cheering Corpus Christi residents after a briefing on relief efforts from emergency responders.

President Donald Trump backed off his claim that Texas would be 'up and running very, very quickly' after Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday afternoon

The president mused during a briefing at the Texas Department of Health that the flood waters in southern Texas, which has seen record-breaking rainfall, might never recede. He's pictured here next to his wife Melania and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Trump told a crowd of Texans who'd lined up outside a Corpus Christi firehouse he was visiting earlier in the day that the recovery effort is 'going well' and his administration is 'here to take care of you'

The president held up the Texas flag as he delivered the impromptu remarks to the throng of cheering Corpus Christi residents after a briefing on relief efforts from emergency responders

A crowd of people welcome Trump to Corpus Christi, Texas, this afternoon outside the firehouse where he received a briefing

The president and first lady spent the day in Texas, touring government facilities in Corpus Christi and Austin.

They headed back to Washington this evening following their visit to the Lone Star State's emergency management center.

President Trump said Monday that they could return to Texas on Saturday, and possibly stop through Louisiana, but nothing has been determined yet.

Melania Trump hinted that she'd like to be part of the boots on the ground.

'I want to be able to offer my help and support in the most productive way possible, not through just words, but also action,' she said in her statement issues Tuesday night.

The president acknowledged this afternoon in Texas that the nation's largest state would need long-term assistance with its recovery and that the effort would be a 'costly proposition.'

The president said he was confident, though, that Congress would come to an agreeable solution on disaster funding.

Yesterday, Trump told a Texas reporter during an international news conference that he'd already spoken to lawmakers and 'everybody feels for you and feels for what you're going through.'

'Texas is a unique place. It’s a great, great state, great people, and I think you you'll be up and running very, very quickly. Really, very quickly,' he said then.

Trump was a little more sober in his assessment of the disaster on Tuesday after he'd been briefed in person by the state and federal officials managing the crisis.

'Probably there has never been something so expensive in our country's history and there's never been something so historic in terms of damage,' he said. 'In terms of ferocity of what we witnessed with Harvey. Sounds like such an innocent name, Ben, but it's not innocent, it's not innocent.'

Trump said several times this week that the storm was 'historic' and 'epic.'

'It it's a long road. Still pouring, still a lot of rain. Nobody has ever seen anything like it,' he said on Monday.

Trump lauded state and federal officials for their handling of Harvey during multiple stops today, and he told the group of 1,000 or so supporters in Corpus Christi: 'We are here to take care of you.'

The U.S. president said it was too early for 'congratulations' be passed around - 'we'll congratulate each other when it's all finished,' he said - but he told Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott that he has 'been terrific' in the face of historic floods and he hopes the joint efforts will become example of how to manage a storm.

'We want to do it better than ever before. We want to be looked at in five years, in ten years from now as, this is the way to do it,' Trump told Abbott during the Corpus Christi briefing. 'This was of epic proportion. Nobody's ever seen anything like this.'

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump (R) receive a briefing on Tropical Storm Harvey relief efforts with Texas Governor Greg Abbott (2ndL) in Corpus Christi, Texas, this afternoon

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive take part in a briefing on Harvey relief efforts at Firehouse 5 in Corpus Christi, Texas

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have arrived in Corpus Christi, Texas to survey the storm-ravaged Gulf and meet with relief providers

They deplaned Air Force One at 11:30 am local time with an entourage that included Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon

First Lady Melania Trump had swapped the black stilettos she'd been see for white tennis shoes that she paired with a white top. She'd ditched an olive-green jacket she wore from the White House to Air Force One, as well, but kept a pair of black aviators and added a black hat bearing her title, 'FLOTUS'

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk from Marine One across the South Lawn to the White House in Washington as they return from Texas

The president and first lady traveled to Corpus Christi earlier this afternoon on the first leg of their trip to survey the storm-ravaged Gulf and meet with relief providers.

They deplaned Air Force One at 11:30 am local time with an entourage that included Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon.

Abbott was on the tarmac to meet them them in Corpus Christi, where the sun was shining and the local temperature was a balmy 82°F when the first couple landed.

President Trump gave a wave as a he walked off the government aircraft in a windbreaker sporting the presidential seal, khaki pants and brown boots - the same outfit he was wearing when he boarded.

First Lady Melania Trump had changed, however, swapping the black stilettos she'd been seen in leaving the White House for white tennis shoes that she paired with a white top. She'd ditched an olive-green jacket she wore from the White House to Air Force One, as well, but kept a pair of black aviators and added a black hat bearing her title, 'FLOTUS,' to the ensemble.

Her husband wore the white 'USA' cap he'd been seen wearing over the weekend as he received a briefing on the tropical storm at Camp David.

In Corpus Christi, they received an update from FEMA Administrator Brock Long, who President Trump commented has become 'very famous on television over the last couple of days' as a result of the weather event that was previously defined as a hurricane but has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

'You have been just outstanding,' Trump told Long just before the briefing.

At their second stop, in the state's capital city, the president and first lady toured the Texas public safety department's emergency operations center and sat for another briefing with Abbott, Carson, Price, McMahon and other officials.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are on their way to Texas to survey the storm-ravaged Gulf and meet with relief providers

The president and first lady left the White House this morning just after 8:30 am for Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

The president was in a windbreaker sporting the presidential seal. He wore khaki pants and brown boots. The first lady was in all-black attire, save for an olive green windbreaker of her own

Unlike her husband, Melania Trump did not wear boots. The first lady went with classic black stilettos for the trip to Texas' flood zone, though later changed to white sneakers

Project satellite handout image taken on August 29 shows storm activity from Hurricane Harvey off te US Gulf coast. Harvey is now heading for Louisiana while flood levels in Houston are expected to peak on Wednesday or Thursday

STATEMENT FROM FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP AFTER HER VISIT TO TEXAS The effects of Hurricane Harvey will be felt in Texas, Louisiana, and other parts of the country for many months and years to come. So far, 1.7 million people are under orders to evacuate their homes, and, as the floodwater in Houston rises, sadly, so will the number of evacuees. I want to be able to offer my help and support in the most productive way possible, not through just words, but also action. What I found to be the most profound during the visit was not only the strength and resilience of the people of Texas, but the compassion and sense of community that has taken over the State. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Texas and Louisiana. Advertisement

They brought Abbott and Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn along for the ride from Corpus Christi to Austin. All three are Republicans.

Trump had earlier thanked the two senators for being with him in Corpus Christi, claiming they were 'trapped' in other locations and it was a real difficulty for them to make it there.

Of Abbott he said, 'Working with the governor and his entire team has been an honor for us.'

'You have been terrific, really terrific. It's a great honor,' Trump told him. 'And you've been my friend, too, for a long time.'

Trump promised on Monday to 'take care' of Texas and Louisiana through the 'long and difficult road' to recovery as floods triggered by Tropical Storm Harvey wreaked havoc on the Houston area.

'It's the biggest ever. They are saying it is the biggest. It's historic,' Trump said, addressing reporters in the Oval Office.

He said at a press conference shortly after, 'Nobody has ever seen anything like it.'

'I've heard the words "epic," I've heard "historic." And that's what it is.'

Upbeat, in spite of the catastrophic weather event, Trump said the nation will emerge 'bigger, better, stronger than ever before' after the storm that's ransacking the Gulf.

'We ask God for his wisdom and strength. We will get through this,' Trump said. 'The rebuilding will begin. And in the end it will be something very special.'

They'll make two flights, one to Corpus Christi and one to Austin, this afternoon before their return to Washington

In both cities, they'll receive briefings on the storm's impact from area officials. They're seen boarding Air Force One this morning in Maryland

Designer bags at the ready: A White House aide carried Louis Vuitton luggage to the chopper Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C.

People line up for food as others rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston on Tuesday

Texas Army National Guard members Sergio Esquivel, left, and Ernest Barmore carry 81-year-old Ramona Bennett after she and other residents were rescued from their Pine Forest Village neighborhood due to high water from Hurricane Harvey

Trump was dealing with dueling crises, one at home and one abroad, on Tuesday morning as he departed Washington.

Early this morning North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, this time over Japan. The test terrified Japanese citizens and caused a sudden drop in financial markets.

In an official White House statement Trump lambasted North Korea as a threat to the entire world and, in a return to the saber-rattling of the last flare-up with Pyongyang, warned that 'all options are on the table.'

'The world has received North Korea’s latest message loud and clear: this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior,' he said.

'Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime’s isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table,' the statement said.

Trump called Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and the two agreed that North Korea poses a 'grave and growing direct threat,' the White House said in a separate readout early this morning.

As he left the White House Trump was vague on his plans to handle Kim Jong-un, telling reporters, 'We'll see, we'll see.'

His focus since has been the storm in Texas, which he has repeatedly referred to as 'historic' and 'epic.' The usually chatty president has been silent on North Korea on Twitter since he left this morning. He has not sent any messages about Kim as he travels through Texas or made verbal threats to the young dictator.

Trump's presidential campaign was similarly focused on disaster relief.

It asked supporters in a Tuesday morning email to donate to non-governmental groups providing disaster assistance such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Way, SPCA and the Humane Society.

'This is a time to come together as a nation to support those in need in the wake of this disaster and the unprecedented flooding they are experiencing in the greater Houston and coastal Texas region. Americans are at their finest when our friends and neighbors are in need – and the need in Texas is great and will continue to be for a long time,' an email from the president's daughter-in-law Lara said.

The senior advisor to Trump's re-election effort and wife of the president's son Eric said, 'Anyone who is able to support relief efforts should donate if they can. Victims and those on the front lines of this unprecedented disaster, including first responders from around the nation, disaster relief workers, and regular citizens rushing to aid our fellow Americans, are all in our thoughts and prayers.'

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington on their way to view storm damage in Texas

President Trump said Monday that residents of the Gulf region have shown incredible teamwork in a time of tragedy.

'We are one American family. We hurt together, we struggle together. And believe me, we endure together,' Trump proclaimed. 'We are one family. To the people of Texas and Louisiana, we are 100 percent with you. '

His wife sang a similar tune Tuesday in the statement she released.

'What I found to be the most profound during the visit was not only the strength and resilience of the people of Texas, but the compassion and sense of community that has taken over the State,' Melania Trump said.

'My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Texas and Louisiana,' she added.

At a news conference Monday, Trump offered his encouragement to those in the tropical storm's path. At least night people have died since it made landfall.

'We're praying for you, we're working closely with your leaders and officials, and I will be visiting the impact zone tomorrow to ensure that you're receiving full support and cooperation from the federal government,' Trump said.

Trump has been eager to show he is on top of the situation and his administration will not make the same mistakes as previous presidents in botching the federal response.

'Things are being handled really well, the spirit is incredible of the people and the coordination between all of the different services, as you know, has been going very well,' he said Monday.

President Donald Trump declared at a press conference Monday that the nation will emerge bigger, better and stronger than ever after the storm ransacking southern Texas and Louisiana

Trump's trip to Texas comes much more quickly than other presidents may have dared. The floodwaters continue to rise in the Houston area, where nearly 50 inches of rain has fallen.

The tropical storm is set to continue off the coast for another two days before it peaks on Thursday.

It is currently hovering above the ocean but may make landfall again on Wednesday, threatening 46mph winds in Louisiana towns that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

With Trump's high-impact presidential trip comes the risk of hampering recovery efforts and tying up resources.

He said Monday that he make a return trip to the region this week. 'We may actually go back on Saturday. Depending on where the storm goes we may also go to Louisiana on Saturday,' he told reporters yesterday.

Trump told a reporter from the Texas-based paper The Dallas Morning News during Monday's press conference that relief efforts were unlikely to get bogged down in congressional gridlock.

'We expect to have requests on our desk fairly soon, and we think that Congress will feel very much the way I feel,' he said.

The president said, 'Texas is a unique place. It’s a great, great state, great people, and I think you you'll be up and running very, very quickly. Really, very quickly. So, yeah, I think you're going to be in fantastic shape.'

The Texas Military Department rescues people on kayaks on Tuesday as they continue to evacuate people from their homes

Capt Martha Nigrelle of the US Army National Guard enjoys a chicken wing in the flood water while taking a break from saving stranded residents

Rain will blanket the state until Thursday - when the storm will peak - and then will continue afterwards as it tails off

Since the crisis began last Friday, Trump has seized on his role marshaling the federal response, issuing a disaster declaration for Texas and neighboring Louisiana and deploying 8,000 officials throughout the flood zone.

During a busy weekend, the White House released photos of the president - wearing a USA cap - huddling with aides, liaising with cabinet secretaries to discuss what he called a 'once in 500 year flood'.

Trump's remarks Monday on Hurricane Harvey were his first, aside from a string of tweets he sent over the weekend.

His split in focus between federal disaster relief for Texas and a host of other issues he delved into last weekend on Twitter came under scrutiny, but a senior U.S. official argued Monday morning that the president has the ability to multitask.

'The president is very, very engaged. He knows exactly what's going on,' said Rick Perry, the energy secretary and the longest-serving governor in Texas' history.

President Donald Trump's split in focus between federal disaster relief for Texas and a host of other issues he delved into last weekend on Twitter are evidence of his ability to multitask, Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Monday

Trump is pictured during a conference call with his Cabinet receiving an update on Hurricane Harvey from the FEMA administrator and other national security officials over the weekend

Trump and wife Melania, the first lady, are due to arrive in southern Texas on Tuesday along with members of the president's Cabinet

The president will also make a trip to Missouri this week to push his tax reform proposal, the White House has said

'Interestingly, Brian, he's multitasking at the same time. He's got a lot of other things going on as the President of the United States that he's dealing with halfway around the world, right here in this country,' Perry, who did not travel with the president to Texas, told Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade.

The president will also make a trip to Missouri this week to push his tax reform proposal, the White House has said. Plans call for him to fly into Texas on Tuesday and Missouri on Wednesday.

He hosted the Finnish president Monday at the White House. Their meetings concluded with a joint press conference, at which Trump offered his condolences to victims of the hurricane at the top of his remarks.

After a quiet Saturday, Trump sent a string of tweets Sunday morning on storm rescue efforts and other priorities of his, including tax cuts and the border wall

Perry insisted Monday morning on Fox that Trump is fulfilling his responsibilities to the people of Texas and Louisiana, which was also struck by the tropical storm.

'This president is as engaged in a personal way as any president that I had the privilege to work with. He wants to come to Texas,' he said.

He wants to let people know the federal government is a partner in the state-led efforts, the Cabinet official explained.

Bringing up Trump's trip to Missouri on Wednesday, Perry added, 'This is a president who can multitask. This is a president who cares about his people greatly and we're seeing the reflection of that in his actions.'

Texas' sitting governor, Abbott, also, offered Trump a positive review for his handling of the crisis on Monday.

'The engagement and response by the president, the White House, by his Cabinet and by FEMA have been actually remarkable,' Abbott said.

Texas' sitting governor, Greg Abbott, also a Republican, offered Trump a positive review for his handling of the crisis, as well on Monday

Trump's administration touched base with him a week or two in advance of the storm, Abbott said, and has been in constant contact ever since.

'And they've provided Texas everything that we need. Whenever Texas asks for anything, the answer has been 'yes,' ' he said. 'We've been very pleased with their collaborative response.'

Appearing on CBS News on Monday morning, Abbott said that Trump would not be interfering with the state's emergency outreach with his visit.

'The place he will be going to will not be Houston, so he will not be getting into harm's way or interrupting the evacuations or the emergency response in the Houston area,' Abbott said, 'He most likely will be going closer to where the hurricane hit land, and that's where I will be going today to meet with the FEMA administrator Brock Long.'

Houston has been hit hit harder than expected by the storm, and Abbott announced Monday that Dallas was opening a mega-shelter that could house 5,000 evacuees.

San Antonio is also operating an evacuee center, and the state began running airlift operations out of Galveston to remove and relocate evacuees yesterday.

The state is hosting an approximate 30,000 people in shelters. Another 450,000 will need government assistance.

Conditions are expected to rear over the next few days.

Houston is likely to see more than 50 inches of rain by Saturday. By comparison the Texas city usually accumulates 50 inches of rain a year.