Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Sunday that his state was experiencing a “500-year flood” as Tropical Storm Harvey battered the region.

Cruz told Fox News’s Eric Shawn that the damage to the region was devastating and that floods were likely to continue in the coming days.

“This is a 500-year flood and Harvey is predicted to stay here and keep dumping a significant amount of water on the region that’s going to put even greater pressure,” Cruz said.

{mosads}The Texas senator was using a term common among experts and members of the U.S. government for describing a flood of exceptional magnitude.

Cruz added that he had spoken to President Trump and Vice President Pence about the storm but didn’t provide details about what was discussed.

On Friday, he and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) pressed the administration in a letter for a major disaster declaration in order to make available “any and all emergency protective measures” for the state.

The pair had previously voted against a disaster relief package after Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast in 2013.

Trump has been vocal about the federal response to the storm, repeatedly tweeting updates on the storm and the coordinated response to the natural disaster.