Trump told Hurricane Harvey survivors to 'have a good time' while visiting shelter

AP

President Donald Trump passes out food and meets people impacted by Hurricane Harvey during a visit to the NRG Center in Houston, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017.

While visiting the Houston area on Saturday to meet with survivors of Hurricane Harvey, President Donald Trump told reporters that he is seeing "a lot of happiness," Talking Points Memo reported. 

"It's been really nice," Trump said of the visit. "It's been a wonderful thing. As tough as this was, it's been a wonderful thing, I think even for the country to watch it and for the world to watch. It's been beautiful."

According to the Associated Press, 43 people have died so far as a result of the hurricane - which scientists believe is the worst rainfall disaster in US history - and dozens more were injured. 

Several toxic waste storage sites have also flooded since Harvey hit, posing possible health risks to people and wildlife in the area, according to an AP investigation. 

When Trump was asked about the flooding, he replied, "The flooding? Oh, yeah, yeah, there's a lot of water, but it's leaving pretty quickly. But there's a lot of water, a lot of water, but it's moving out."

And as he was leaving the NRG Center, an emergency shelter for those displaced by the storm, Trump told survivors to "have a good time."

 The worst of the hurricane was over by Thursday, but recovery from the rain and flooding in Texas and neighboring Louisiana is expected to take months and cost upwards of $125 billion, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's estimate. That figure surpasses the $100 billion mark set by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

Some 33,000 people in Texas have sought refuge in more than 230 shelters, and 325,000 have signed up for disaster assistance, officials said.

On Saturday, when Trump was asked about children who had been displaced by the storm, he said, "They're doing great."