Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly waited around three days before approving critical Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid to Texas.
It comes in the wake of new changes made to the agency that require Noem’s personal approval for grants or contracts over $100,000, according to a memo obtained by CNN.
Four FEMA sources told CNN that the agency ran into administrative hurdles almost immediately when floodwaters started to rise late on Friday last week.
Highlights
- Kristi Noem waited over three days to approve FEMA aid to Texas amid rising floodwaters, delaying crucial disaster response actions, sources told CNN.
- New FEMA policy requires Noem’s personal approval for grants over $100,000, causing administrative hurdles and the slowing of aid deployment.
- Search-and-rescue teams and aerial imagery requests were delayed, as FEMA needed Noem’s sign-off before mobilizing disaster resources.
- Homeland Security defended its disaster response, highlighting Coast Guard and Border Patrol efforts, and called CNN’s reports 'fake news.'
- Flooding in Texas has killed at least 120 people and left 173 missing, with officials warning that FEMA’s future disaster response could be at risk.
Kristi Noem reportedly waited days to approve FEMA aid for Texas
Image credits: The White House
While the agency would usually deploy critical search and rescue teams and life-saving resources as soon as possible, they were forced to wait until Monday.
A request from Texas for aerial imagery to aid in search and rescue was also delayed as it waited for Noem’s approval.
People phoning a FEMA disaster call center were faced with much longer wait times, as the agency had to wait for Noem’s approval to bring in support staff, one 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,” a source told CNN.
Image credits: Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
“That is not as clear of an intent for us at the moment.”
Officials have described the $100,000 cutoff as “pennies” because FEMA regularly spends billions in disaster response while coordinating with crews on the ground.
They say the change has deprived the agency of financial control at critical moments when it is most essential.
When floodwaters engulfed communities across central Texas early Saturday, FEMA officials quickly recognized they were unable to move specialized Urban Search and Rescue teams into place ahead of time.
Image credits: Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
Previously, the agency would have rapidly mobilized these elite teams, which are trained for high-stakes disasters like major floods, and positioned them near the impacted areas before requests even came in, FEMA sources told CNN.
But while first responders in Texas launched rescue operations to save lives and reach those in danger, FEMA officials found themselves needing Noem’s sign-off to deploy the additional rescue teams.
That approval didn’t come until Monday—more than three days after the flooding first began, sources said.
Homeland Security has defended its response to the floods
Image credits: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Senior government officials have defended Homeland Security’s response to the flooding, claiming the department used other search-and-rescue assets to respond immediately.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, both under Homeland Security, have assisted in aid efforts.
In a post on X, Homeland Security described the report as “fake news” and said a Major Disaster Declaration had been approved within hours.
“Secretary Noem deployed to Texas, working day and night to approve every possible need that search and rescue workers had,” a statement read.
“Within moments of the flooding in Texas, DHS assets, including the U.S. Coast Guard, tactical Border Patrol units and FEMA personnel surged into unprecedented action alongside Texas first responders.
“The U.S. Coast Guard alone rescued over 230 Americans. @Sec_Noem is leading a historic, first-of-its-kind approach to disaster funding: putting states first by providing upfront recovery support — moving money faster than ever and jump starting recovery."
“This is a breakthrough in how FEMA supports state-led disaster recovery.”
“By Tuesday, FEMA had deployed 311 staffers, providing support and shelter for hundreds of people,” the statement added.
It comes amid fears for the agency’s future, with President Donald Trump previously suggesting he could scrap FEMA.
Donald Trump previously suggested he would scrap the agency
Image credits: Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Noem also doubled down on comments she made over the agency’s future, saying it should be “eliminated as it exists today and remade into a responsive agency.”
Officials previously warned that changes made by the Trump administration could significantly impact FEMA’s ability to respond to disasters.
So far, the death toll from flooding in Texas is at least 120, while 173 people remain missing.