Virginia Gov Youngkin says wife, relatives were stranded in Texas floods, on family's river property

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says his wife and other family members escaped the deadly Texas flash floods last week that had temporarily stranded them at their property on the Guadalupe River.

Youngkin was in Virginia on Friday while his family was at their property near Hunt, Texas, when flash floods hit the area. Over 100 people have died as a result of the flooding and roughly 170 others are still missing.

“By the grace of God, my family was safe. I have to say there were moments when they weren’t. They ended up being safe during the day,” Youngkin said Tuesday when a reporter asked him about the matter, according to the Washington Post. 

He also said his family was in touch with him during the flood as he attended July 4 events.

Texas officials offered to airlift them out, he said, but when they were clearly not in danger anymore, he told authorities to see to other nearby life-threatening situations first. Youngkin said he flew to Texas on Friday afternoon and was with Texas swift-water rescue teams and National Guard members who got his family out that evening.

“I was just grateful, incredibly grateful that they were able to do that,” Youngkin said.

Youngkin said his wife, Suzanne, is from Texas, and her family roots go back some 80 years in the Hill Country area west of San Antonio and Austin. He also said several friends were also at the ranch with his family and that his family visits the property a few times a year for vacations.

Youngkin also asked people to send resources if they could and to "lift people up in your prayers".