"Two days after deadly Texas floods, the agency struggled to answer calls from survivors because of call center contracts that weren’t extended."
"Two days after catastrophic floods roared through Central Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not answer nearly two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance line, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.
The lack of responsiveness happened because the agency had fired hundreds of contractors at call centers, according to a person briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal matters.
The agency laid off the contractors on July 5 after their contracts expired and were not extended, according to the documents and the person briefed on the matter. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, who has instituted a new requirement that she personally approve expenses over $100,000, did not renew the contracts until Thursday, five days after the contracts expired. FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security."
Maxine Joselow reports for the New York Times July 11, 2025.
SEE ALSO:
"FEMA Leader Is A No-Show After Deadly Texas Flooding" (E&E News)
Advertisement 
