FEMA's Response to Texas Floods Criticized Amid Crisis

As the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) faced intense scrutiny over its response to the devastating floods in Texas, which have killed more than 120 people, internal documents revealed that the agency struggled to answer calls from survivors, answering only about 35.8% of calls on July 6. The lack of responsiveness was attributed to the agency's decision to fire hundreds of contractors at call centers on July 5, after their contracts expired and were not extended by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary.

Key Takeaways:

• On July 6, FEMA received 2,363 calls and answered 846, or roughly 35.8%, due to the agency's decision to fire hundreds of contractors at call centers.
• FEMA laid off the contractors on July 5 after their contracts expired and were not extended by Secretary Noem.
• FEMA's disaster assistance line responded to every caller swiftly and efficiently, ensuring no one was left without assistance, according to a FEMA spokesperson.
• Survivors can apply for different types of financial assistance, including a one-time payment of $750 to help cover immediate needs, such as food or supplies.
• FEMA's responsiveness to calls after the Texas floods compared to past disasters was not immediately clear, as the agency does not publicly release that data on a regular basis.

Statistics:

• On July 6, FEMA received 2,363 calls and answered 846 (35.8%).
• On July 5, FEMA received 3,027 calls and answered 3,018 (99.7%).
• On July 7, FEMA fielded 16,419 calls and answered 2,613 (15.9%).
• FEMA did not answer nearly half of the 507,766 incoming calls after Hurricane Helene in October 2024.
• The Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform raised concern that Secretary Noem's insistence on approving expenses over $100,000 delayed FEMA's deployment of search-and-rescue teams to Texas.

Sources:

• The New York Times (undated)
• E & E News (October 29, 2024)
• The Century Foundation