Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said recent government spending cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service did not delay any warnings.

Experts said the NWS did a good job warning about the flooding, but questions remain about whether the cuts played a role.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called what happened a “once in a generation national disaster” and urged “everyone in the area to remain vigilant, listen to all warnings and respond accordingly.