Noem defends policies amid reports FEMA didn't answer thousands of flood survivor calls
During her appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press with Kristen Welker' on July 13, Noem denied reporting from The New York Times that found the agency struggled to answer calls from survivors because call center contracts had not been extended. The outlet reported on July 11 that nearly two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance hotline went unanswered two days after the flooding, as search and rescue efforts continued. Answer rates dipped to 35.8% on July 6 and 15.9% on July 7, according to the report.
Live updates: 'Code Red': Texas recovery effort halted amid new flash flood fears.
'No employees were off of work,' Noem said when asked directly about the reporting. 'Every one of them was answering calls, so false reporting, fake news, and it's discouraging. It's discouraging that during this time, when we have such a loss of life and so many people's lives have turned upside down, that people are playing politics with this because the response time was immediate.'
The NYT reported that the lack of responsiveness was due to the agency firing hundreds of contractors at call centers. At the same time, contracts were not renewed to maintain staffing levels needed to address the crisis due to a new policy instituted by Noem. The mandate requires that the DHS Secretary must personally approve expenses exceeding $100,000, and she did not renew the contracts until July 10, five days after they expired and six days after the deadly flooding on July 4.
Welker asked Noem to respond to the reports that on July 7, only 15.9% of calls made to the hotline were answered.
'These contracts were in place, and those people were in those call centers, and they were picking up the phone and answering these calls from these individuals,' Noem said. 'So, that report needs to be validified.'
Map of damage: See how the Texas floods unfolded and why Camp Mystic was in a hazardous location
The death toll has risen to 129 on Saturday, including more than three dozen children. At least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp, are among the victims. Efforts continue for more than nine days to recover the remains of those missing, with officials saying there are more than 160 people unaccounted for across the state.
With immediate search and rescue now shifting to finding and identifying those who have perished, attention is shifting to various local, state and federal officials and governments, as questions mount over disaster response and warning systems.
More: 'Unhinged': Democrats are furious Sen. Alex Padilla was hauled out of Noem briefing
USA TODAY reported on July 7 that the state's Division of Emergency Management denied requests from the hardest-hit region of Kerr County for a $1 million grant to improve its flood warning system. In the days following, CNN reported that new cost control rules on contracts enforced by Noem slowed FEMA's response in Texas, with DHS disputing the report.
On Friday, as President Donald Trump surveyed the extensive damage in Texas, a group of Democratic lawmakers sent letters seeking 'answers' from FEMA, the Department of Commerce Inspector General and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the weather service.
'The tragic loss of life underscores the urgent need to understand what contributed to this disaster and how we can better prepare for future disasters,' their letter to NOAA reads. 'Rigorous oversight is needed not only to provide answers to grieving communities in Central Texas, but also to save lives in future extreme weather events.'
Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY.
Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.
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