Tillerson: Keep Texas in your thoughts and prayers

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday called on Americans to keep the residents of Texas in their “thoughts and prayers” as the state deals with the devastation from Hurricane Harvey.

“Being a native Texan, my wife and I still make our home in Texas, and we have a lot of family and friends that have been directly impacted and – but also just millions and millions of Texans are really, really suffering right now,” Tillerson told reporters ahead of a meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. “So I’d simply ask that all Americans keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

The remnants of the hurricane hurdled toward Louisiana on Tuesday, but its effects were still being felt in Texas. In the Houston area, two reservoirs began spilling over amid historic flooding and rescue operations are underway for those trapped by the rising water.

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Meanwhile, President Trump on Tuesday headed to southern Texas to visit the Corpus Christi area, which is among the areas hit the hardest by the storm. 

“I think the state of Texas is doing a remarkable, remarkable job dealing with what is an extraordinarily difficult situation of historic proportions,” Tillerson said.

“As you know, the president is on his way down today,” he continued. “I think he has plans to go back a second time, I think, indicating the seriousness of the situation, but also the commitment of the federal government to provide all the assets that the state of Texas needs to respond to what’s going to be a very, very, very long rebuilding process.”