The deadly floods that swept through Texas this past week have killed at least 120 people and left 173 others missing. As devastated communities search for answers, controversy has erupted over the federal response, with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem calling for the elimination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—the very agency her policies delayed.
On Wednesday, Noem renewed her call to dismantle FEMA, stating, “Federal emergency management should be state and locally led, rather than how it has operated for decades. It has been slow to respond at the federal level. It’s even been slower to get the resources to Americans in crisis, and that is why this entire agency needs to be eliminated as it exists today, and remade into a responsive agency.”
But according to four FEMA officials who spoke to CNN, the slow response that Noem criticized was the direct result of a policy she enacted herself just weeks earlier. In June, Noem introduced a rule requiring her personal approval of any FEMA contract or grant over $100,000. The administration billed the policy as a way of “rooting out waste, fraud, [and] abuse.” However, FEMA officials warned at the time it could cause “massive delays” in emergencies, particularly as hurricane season ramped up.
That warning proved prescient. Officials said that compared to the billions typically required for disaster response, $100,000 is essentially “pennies.” Yet FEMA was forced to seek Noem’s direct approval for nearly every action in response to the Texas floods.
Multiple officials explained that “FEMA ran into bureaucratic obstacles” because of the new requirement. Urban Search and Rescue Teams, trained for catastrophic floods and other disasters, were delayed by more than 72 hours as they waited for Noem’s approval to deploy. Requests for aerial imagery to aid search and rescue operations were also delayed for days.
“In the past, FEMA would have swiftly staged these teams, which are specifically trained for situations including catastrophic floods, closer to a disaster zone in anticipation of urgent requests,” one FEMA official said.
Instead, requests for search and rescue deployments were made on Friday as floodwaters rose rapidly, but Noem did not approve them until Monday, well after the flooding had wrought most of its destruction.
One FEMA source told CNN, “We were operating under a clear set of guidance: lean forward, be prepared, anticipate what the state needs, and be ready to deliver it. That is not as clear of an intent for us at the moment.”
A FEMA spokesperson defended Noem’s policy, stating, “The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades.”
The delays sparked swift criticism from Texas lawmakers. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said, “During disasters, every second matters. Noem must answer for this delay.”
Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) emphasized the need for federal agencies like FEMA, especially as Texas faces increasing climate disasters. “Year after year, Texans face deadlier fires, freezes, and floods,” Casar said. “As we continue to support first responders and grieving families after the terrible flooding, we will need investigations at every level of government of what went wrong and what could save lives in future.”
“We must stop the dismantling of federal agencies that are supposed to keep us safe from the next disaster,” he added.
The Texas flooding crisis comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to gut FEMA. Last month, President Donald Trump said he was beginning to “phase out” the agency and that it would “give out less money” to states while being directed out of the White House. Back in February, his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) eliminated 2,000 permanent FEMA employees – one-third of its total staff.
Noem has also boasted about redirecting FEMA funds to immigration enforcement projects, including allocating hundreds of millions from the agency to build the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant internment camp in Florida and other detention facilities.
Former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell warned Congress last month that Trump administration cuts have made it harder for FEMA to respond effectively. “It just slows down the entire response and delays the recovery process from starting,” Criswell said. “If the state director asks for a resource, then FEMA needs to be able to quickly respond and mobilize that resource to come support whatever that is. They still need the staff that are going in there. And so when you have less people, you’re going to have less ability to actually fill those senior roles.”
While lifesaving requests were left awaiting approval over the weekend, Noem focused on other matters. The Daily Beast reported that on Sunday, she posted potential options for her official portrait as former governor of South Dakota, asking Instagram followers which image was their favorite.
On the same day, President Trump deflected questions about his administration’s response to the Texas floods and cuts to the National Weather Service, claiming he couldn’t hear a reporter despite hearing others moments before. He also suggested without evidence that the flooding was a “Biden setup.”
As the floodwaters recede, calls for investigation into the federal response and the impacts of Noem’s policies are growing. For Texas communities still reeling from catastrophic loss, those delays remain a stark reminder that, as Rep. Castro said, “every second matters.”
COMMENTS