FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show

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NY Times: FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show

Two days after deadly Texas floods, the agency struggled to answer calls from survivors because of call center contracts that weren’t extended.

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Kristi Noem, dressed in a black polo and a dark hat with a FEMA logo on it, sits in front of a microphone.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a news conference in Kerrville, Texas, on Saturday. Ms. Noem did not renew a contract to staff call center workers until Thursday.Credit…Jordan Vonderhaar for The New York Times

By Maxine Joselow

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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.

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About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

11 thoughts on “FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show”

  3. Lisa or Li's avatarLisa or Li

    I wrote this poem for her a couple of weeks ago about ICE. I changed a few words to fit the occasion:

    Limerick for Kristi

    she’s an infamous killer of pets
    she’s a plasticine Barbie that gets
    off her rocks ghosting phones
    she’s the slag, Kristi Noem
    she’s a soulless self-serving white mess

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