Two days before torrential rains transformed the Guadalupe River into a catastrophic flood, a seasoned official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expressed significant concerns regarding the agency’s operational capabilities for the disaster season. Speaking with The Washington Post, the official highlighted the impact of the Trump administration’s new regulations, which hampered disaster specialists' ability to make timely decisions independently. This issue became glaringly apparent during the unfolding events in Texas.
The new budget restrictions mandated that any purchase, contract, or grant exceeding $100,000 must receive approval from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem. This requirement led to significant delays in deploying essential resources, including specialized search and rescue teams, as reported by numerous current and former FEMA employees who requested anonymity due to their non-disclosure agreements. One current official emphasized that such delays are detrimental when responding to billion-dollar disasters, stating, “that is basically everything.”
Multiple former officials and current employees have voiced concerns that several vital contracts with companies providing crucial services for disaster response have either expired or are nearing expiration without extensions. In response to these challenges, FEMA has implemented work-arounds to expedite funding disbursement, as revealed by documents reviewed by The Post. Despite these efforts, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, insisted that decentralizing some of FEMA’s functions has not compromised its disaster response capabilities.
According to internal communications obtained by The Post, the contracts at risk include essential services such as call centers that assist those in need, housing inspectors to evaluate damaged properties, IT support for case management, and the operation of disasterassistance.gov, a platform that registered millions of survivors last year. On Thursday afternoon, Noem signed multiple contracts to address the Texas flood disaster, which included a $1.6 million obligation for housing inspection services, along with provisions for a call center and mental health services.
As the disaster season intensifies, it has become evident that some FEMA employees have not completed crucial readiness exercises and training that are typically finalized before the onset of such emergencies. FEMA’s primary responsibility during these disasters is to coordinate and provide resources to support local and state governments. However, the agency has faced significant personnel losses and a reduction in institutional knowledge recently, complicating its ability to respond effectively.
FEMA often needs to mobilize thousands of personnel, contractors, and private partners during major disasters, incurring substantial costs for search and rescue crews, overtime, food, housing, and survivor assistance. The agency has faced scrutiny for its recovery operations, with several reports from the Government Accountability Office highlighting past mismanagement of funds during disasters. The new approval requirement instituted by Noem has made the response process more cumbersome, especially during critical phases when quick decisions can save lives. A veteran official remarked, “During response, we need things approved in minutes and hours; anything longer will result in deaths.”
The unprecedented floods that overwhelmed much of Central Texas have resulted in at least 118 fatalities, with 173 individuals still reported missing, marking this event as one of the deadliest disasters in the state’s history—worse than Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Early estimates suggest that the economic damage could reach approximately $22 billion. In response, McLaughlin stated that the department has dispatched various officials to support Texas authorities in their ongoing rescue and recovery efforts.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott formally requested federal disaster assistance on Saturday evening, with President Donald Trump signing the disaster declaration the following day. However, officials noted that the assistance took an unusually long time to arrive. After receiving approval from DHS on Monday afternoon, FEMA deployed three search and rescue crews and task forces, which arrived in the affected areas on Tuesday.
The stringent spending limit necessitated the creation of a “tiger” data team tasked with developing a new disaster application to facilitate quicker processing of requests. Typically, FEMA issues contracts and grants for specialized tactical search and rescue crews, which often exceed the $100,000 threshold. Although Texas is one of the most disaster-prepared states, it frequently relies on FEMA for substantial support during hurricanes, floods, and severe winter storms.
As the current disaster season progresses, FEMA’s ability to respond effectively is under scrutiny due to the new approval processes that have been implemented. In previous disasters, such as Hurricane Beryl, FEMA was able to mobilize quickly to provide assistance. However, the current challenges present a significant risk to the agency’s capability to deliver timely aid during crises. As the situation evolves, it is crucial for FEMA to reassess its operational strategies to ensure rapid and effective disaster response for the safety of affected communities.
