📰FEMA Leader No-Show in Texas Flood Response
Disaster & Emergency Management
Ethics & Government Accountability
Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson hasn’t visited central Texas since deadly flooding struck in early July 2025, prompting concerns that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is running the response and slowing critical aid to survivors.
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Key Takeaways
- David Richardson, acting FEMA administrator since May 8, 2025, hasn’t appeared on the ground in Texas after floods killed over 120.
- Kristi Noem visited the flood zone on July 5, highlighting FEMA leadership’s absence.
- As of July 9, FEMA approved aid for only 11 of roughly 26,000 affected households, pointing to slow resource deployment.
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Why This Matters
Impact:
Delayed FEMA leadership presence hindered coordination of relief and left survivors waiting as only 11 households received aid by July 9.
Power:
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s hands-on control over FEMA decisions shows how cabinet heads can bottleneck disaster action by centralizing approval for contracts over $100,000.
Action:
Contact your members of Congress to demand oversight hearings on FEMA’s leadership, back legislation clarifying its chain of command, and file public records requests for agency transparency.
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Detailed Content
2
Under federal disaster rules, contracts over ___ require approval from the DHS Secretary.
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Policy Analysis
3
As of July 9, 2025, FEMA had approved aid for ___ of roughly ___ affected households.
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Government
4
Match each actor to their role in the Texas flood response:
Matching
Government
5
On what date did David Richardson become the acting FEMA Administrator?
Multiple Choice
Government
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Which federal official visited the Texas flood zone on July 5, 2025?
Multiple Choice
Government
7
Which law allows citizens to file public records requests for federal agencies like FEMA?
Multiple Choice
Policy Analysis
9
What is the optimal sequence of steps for citizens to demand faster FEMA aid responses?
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Policy Analysis
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