¡Para leer en español, haz clic aquí!
Federal emergency crews are on the ground in Texas responding to devastating floods that have overwhelmed the state, even as questions mount about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) long-term ability to handle disasters. While the agency leads rescue and recovery efforts, its future is uncertain.
Recent staffing cuts across federal agencies, including FEMA and the National Weather Service (NWS), have raised concerns from state and local officials who are seeing fewer resources when they are needed most.
In the wake of the crisis, Democrats in Washington are demanding accountability.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for a formal investigation into whether the staffing reductions at the NWS may have played a role in the loss of life during the floods. Meanwhile, some local weather offices were reportedly unstaffed during the peak of the storm, further heightening scrutiny of recent budget decisions.
President Trump downplayed the concerns, saying, “Well, FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they’re busy working, so we’ll leave it at that.”
