Overview

• Eight current and former officials told the Washington Post that acting administrator David Richardson could not be reached for roughly a day as the July floods unfolded in Central Texas.
• Because Noem’s sign-off was required for expenditures above $100,000, FEMA staff could not quickly advance requests to deploy resources without access to Richardson.
• Urban Search and Rescue teams that typically arrive within 12 to 24 hours were not on the ground until the fourth day, as reporting detailed the agency’s slowed mobilization.
• FEMA reportedly failed to answer nearly two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance hotline after the floods, which killed at least 138 people.
• Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone called for Richardson to resign, while FEMA’s press office defended him, and 20 states are suing over his authority under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.