US Edition
FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show
CENTRAL TEXAS, JUL 12 – FEMA answered fewer than 40% of flood survivor calls after laying off hundreds of contractors due to delayed contract renewals requiring Homeland Security Secretary approval.
- On July 6, FEMA handled only about 36% of the 2,363 calls it got from flood victims in Texas, leaving a majority of the requests unanswered.
- The low response rate followed the layoff of hundreds of call center contractors after contracts expired and were not renewed until days later.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delayed FEMA's deployment of search-and-rescue teams by personally requiring approvals on expenses over $100,000.
- Jeffrey Schlegelmilch of Columbia University described the fact that fewer than half of the inquiries receive a response as extremely troubling, especially given the challenges survivors face while dealing with multiple aid programs.
- The agency's poor call response and delayed actions have led to intense scrutiny and calls for FEMA reform following floods that killed over 120 people in Texas.
32 Articles
32 Articles
FEMA Only Answered 16% of Calls 2 Days After Catastrophic Texas Floods That Killed 132+ People
In Texas, the death toll from this month’s massive flooding has reached 132. On Sunday, heavy rain and new flooding forced a halt to search efforts. Meanwhile, The New York Times has revealed FEMA didn’t answer thousands of calls from flood survivors after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did not renew contracts for four call center companies the day after the flooding. On Monday, July 7, FEMA received over 16,400 calls. Only about 2,600 …
KHQ Right Now
KULR-TVSenator Murray demands transparency in Texas flood response by FEMA
TEXAS - Recent reporting from the New York Times has revealed that thousands of calls went unanswered after devastating floods in Texas, allegedly due to FEMA not renewing contracts to keep call centers operational. The floods, which claimed hundreds of…
DHS Lets Contract Expire During A Flood, Leading To Thousands Of Missed FEMA Calls
That an agency overseen by former South Dakota governor Kristi Noem would fail to handle flooding capably shouldn’t come as a surprise. That sort of thing is directly on brand for Noem, who did this to her own state because she was trying to score points with (then) ex-president Donald Trump. Severe weather brought a deluge to southeast South Dakota recently and exposed Gov. Kristi Noem’s faults. While the rain fell, she abandoned the state for…
Kristi Noem slams NYT report claiming FEMA ignored calls during Texas flash flood disaster
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has denied a New York Times report accusing FEMA of ignoring emergency calls during deadly floods in Central Texas, calling the claims false and politically motivated.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources lean Left
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
