Senator Ted Cruz found himself in hot water again as deadly floods ravaged Texas over the weekend while he was overseas.

According to Daily Mail, Cruz was vacationing in Athens, Greece, after voting on President Donald Trump’s budget bill last week, even as catastrophic flooding struck the Texas Hill Country, claiming over 100 lives. The tragedy included dozens of girls at a summer camp who perished in the deluge.

Photos of Cruz and his wife Heidi touring the Parthenon on Saturday evening surfaced, despite floodwaters having already swept through Camp Mystic in Texas, leaving more than 20 young girls and counselors missing by that time.

Cruz Cuts Trip Short Amid Crisis

Cruz’s office defended the senator, stating he was on a preplanned family vacation when the flooding hit on July 4. They emphasized that he immediately contacted state officials and President Trump, booking a swift return flight within hours.

According to the statement, despite the time difference, Cruz departed Athens on Sunday morning and was back in Texas by that night. He was on the ground in Kerrville early Monday morning, addressing the crisis firsthand.

This isn’t the first time Cruz has faced backlash for being away during a disaster, as his 2021 Cancun trip during a brutal Texas winter storm still lingers in public memory.

Tragic Losses at Camp Mystic

The floods have left a heartbreaking toll, with at least 27 campers and counselors killed at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp in Kerr County. Cruz, speaking to Fox News on Monday, pointed out a critical failure in the warning system, noting that girls were asleep in cabins as floodwaters rose.

“Something went wrong there,” Cruz remarked, urging for better mechanisms to protect vulnerable communities. He stressed the need to ensure such a tragedy doesn’t repeat.

Officials later confirmed the death toll from the flooding surpassed 100, with at least 28 children among the victims, underscoring the scale of this devastating event.

National Weather Service Under Scrutiny

Criticism has also turned toward the National Weather Service (NWS), with Texas officials and some Democrats questioning whether staffing cuts impacted the response. Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro, while cautious, suggested on CNN that missing key NWS personnel might have hindered prevention efforts.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem countered these claims on Fox and Friends, defending the agency’s actions. She insisted alerts were sent with as much notice as possible, despite operating on outdated systems that are now slated for upgrades under the Trump administration.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for a watchdog investigation into whether NWS staffing vacancies, particularly in San Antonio, led to delays or gaps in forecasting the floods.

Balancing Duty and Public Perception

Cruz’s Greece vacation, much like his Cancun getaway in 2021, has reignited debates about leadership during crises. While his team insists he acted swiftly to return and assist, the optics of being abroad as constituents suffered remain a tough pill for many to swallow.

The broader conversation around disaster preparedness, from NWS capabilities to local warnings, reveals deeper systemic challenges that demand attention beyond any single politician’s itinerary.

As Texas mourns its losses, the focus must shift to rebuilding trust and ensuring no family endures such preventable heartbreak again.