Youngkin Says Family Was Stranded During Texas Floods

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says his family was stranded at their property on the Guadalupe River during the Texas floods on Friday—but when it was clear they were safe, they declined an offer from Texas authorities to airlift them out of the area. He said he asked emergency management teams to prioritize rescuing young campers and other people in life-threatening situations, the Hill reports. "My family was there, along with friends, and by the grace of God, my family was safe," the Republican governor said Tuesday, per NBC News. "I have to say there [were] moments when they weren't. They ended up being safe during the day."

Youngkin, who was in Virginia when the floods hit Friday, flew to Texas later in the day and was with the swift-water rescue team and National Guard members who rescued his wife, Suzanne Youngkin, and other family members, the Washington Post reports. The family owns a former girls' camp along a branch of the river near Hunt that Youngkin purchased for $6.7 million about 15 years ago and that the family visits numerous times a year. Youngkin said his wife's family's roots in the area go back 80 years. "These people are family to us, deep relationships," he said. "And therefore, what happened in the wee hours of the morning on Friday has been devastating." On Sunday, Youngkin deployed two Virginia swift-water rescue teams to the area.