President Donald Trump, on a conference call Wednesday with state and federal leaders as Texas prepares for another hurricane season, thanked the Coast Guard for helping save thousands during Hurricane Harvey last year.

But later in the call, Trump made a claim that took many state leaders and first responders by surprise.

"They saved 16,000 people, many of them in Texas, for whatever reason that is," Trump said. "People went out in their boats to watch the hurricane. That didn't work out too well."

Trump was joined with Vice President Mike Pence and federal emergency officials in Washington, D.C., while Gov. Greg Abbott was speaking from Austin through a video teleconference call. The comment stunned many in the room, who didn't really know what to say or how to respond to the president's claim.

1 / 5In this Aug. 29 photo, water from Addicks Reservoir flows into neighborhoods as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise in Houston. A new report on the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey says the U.S. has never experienced the amount of rainfall across such a vast area as that brought by Harvey when it struck Texas. The report released this week by the Harris County Flood Control District says more rain fell over a five-day period, and on such a broad area, than at any time since records have been kept. (David J. Phillip / The Associated Press) 2 / 5In this Aug. 28 photo, rescue boats fill a flooded street as flood victims are evacuated as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise in Houston.(David J. Phillip / The Associated Press) 3 / 5In this Sept. 1 photo, homes are surrounded by water from the flooded Brazos River in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Freeport. According to a study released on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, tropical cyclones around the world are moving slightly slower over land and water, dumping more rain as they stall, just as Hurricane Harvey did.(Charlie Riedel / The Associated Press) 4 / 5Flood waters rise Lakes on Eldridge North neighborhood near the Addicks Reservoir in West Houston on Aug. 30.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 5 / 5In this Aug. 28 photo, rescue boats fill a flooded street as flood victims are evacuated from floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston. The U.S. Department of Transportation will provide more than $277 million to help hurricane-damaged public transportation in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin islands. The funding announced Thursday, May 31, 2018, is earmarked for response and rebuilding projects related to last year's hurricanes -- Harvey, Irma and Maria -- plus emergency preparedness.(David J. Phillip / The Associated Press)

When asked for comment on Trump's claim after the briefing, Abbott told reporters from the Houston Chronicle he had "no information one way or the other about that."

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, who credited civilians for making an "extraordinary effort" with their own boats to rescue neighbors and relatives during the massive flooding, told the Chronicle he "didn't see anyone taking the approach that would reflect" the president's comments.

"I'll be sure to invite the president to ride out the next hurricane in a jon boat in Galveston Bay the next time one approaches," he added.

And Marty Lancton, president of Houston's Professional Fire Fighters Association, told the newspaper: "I don't even know how to respond to that."

Late last August, Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane, wreaking havoc and dumping record amounts of rain on southeast Texas.

During the briefing, Abbott told reporters the state expects 10 to 16 storms this year, five to nine of which could turn into hurricanes, according to the Texas Tribune. He said the state is "not expecting the same level of activity that was seen in 2017" this hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

"We are ready, and we are taking steps on a daily basis to make sure we will be able to address any challenge coming our way," Abbott said. "We're getting everything lined up to make sure that we will be capable of responding to a replication of Hurricane Harvey."