The catastrophic July 4 flash flooding along the upper Guadalupe River claimed more than 135 lives and highlighted stark failures in emergency response at every level.
FEMA’s involvement, while eventually present in the devastated areas, was deeply criticized for unacceptable delays, dysfunctional support operations, and structural weakness under the Trump administration.
Despite President Trump quickly approving Governor Abbott’s disaster declaration on July 6, initiating the release of federal aid, critical delays plagued FEMA’s deployment of urban search and rescue teams. Under new policies requiring Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s approval for any FEMA contract or grant over $100,000 rescue teams were held back for more than 72 hours after the flooding began. Additionally, FEMA had failed to renew contracts with call centers, leaving survivors without critical assistance. As a result, nearly two‑thirds of distress calls went unanswered in the early days following the flood.
These operational shortcomings prompted the resignation of Ken Pagurek, head of FEMA’s Urban Search & Rescue program, who publicly cited bureaucratic mismanagement and red tape as causes for unacceptable delays. Critics likened the response to historic FEMA failures, such as post‑Katrina delays in rescuing stranded residents, underscoring a familiar pattern of underperformance in moments of crisis.
According to Shana Udvardy of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the response was “dysfunctional, delinquent and irresponsible,” calling attention to the broader agenda of the Trump administration to decentralize FEMA and demand greater state burden for disaster response. Political critics argue these policy shifts directly undermined FEMA’s ability to act swiftly and effectively.
Many are asking if FEMA’s response to this Texas flood means federal assistance for future disasters will be slow, feeble and inadequate. An under-resourced FEMA is not what many Americans support, especially as climate-driven extreme weather events increase.
Guest:
Sarah Labowitz is the senior fellow in the Sustainability, Climate and Geopolitics Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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This episode will be recorded on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
