Deadly US floods could be the new normal as president guts federal agencies, experts warn

The deadly Texas floods could signal a new norm in the US, experts have warned, as Donald Trump and his allies dismantle crucial federal agencies that help states prepare and respond to extreme weather and other hazards.

- Nina Lakhani Oliver Milman

More than 100 are dead and dozens more remain missing after flash floods in the parched area known as Texas Hill Country swept away entire holiday camps and homes on Friday.

The disaster is being attributed to what appeared to have been another unremarkable storm that stalled before dumping huge quantities of rain over a short period, a phenomenon becoming increasingly common as the planet warms.

It is unclear why the early warning system failed to result in the timely evacuation of Camp Mystic, where 700 girls were camped on a known flood plain by the Guadalupe River, but there is mounting concern that the chaos and cuts instigated by Trump and his billionaire donor Elon Musk at the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) may have contributed to the death toll.