Texas floods newest: New spherical of flash flooding brings extra evacuations as Kristi Noem denies report she delayed FEMA response

Torrential rain and strong winds hit central Texas Sunday, forcing rescuers to halt search operations for victims even one week on from the first of the devastating floods in the region.

A slow-moving storm set off flood warnings in several places along the Guadalupe River. Officials and local residents are still ready for further disaster.

However, the rain began to ease up in some parts by midafternoon, meaning some flood warnings were downgraded to flood watches.

The devastating flash floods hit the Texas Hill Country on July 4, resulting in at least 129 fatalities and 160 people still unaccounted for, have intensified scrutiny on the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), raising significant questions about its ability to respond effectively to such crises.

FEMA’s workforce had significantly shrunk by mid-May, losing 2,000 full-time employees – a third of its staff – through terminations and buyouts. This substantial reduction was further compounded by a June 11 memo from Noem, which mandated that all Department of Homeland Security agencies, including FEMA, seek her review for any contract exceeding $100,000.

The memo, reviewed by Reuters, explicitly imposed a minimum five-day review period for these critical funding requests.

Current and former FEMA officials told Reuters the spending cap could severely hinder disaster response efforts.

For instance, the deployment of national search and rescue teams, typically managed by FEMA, was notably absent from daily briefings until 8 July; four officials directly linked this delay to the new policy.

A former FEMA official highlighted that essential resources, such as law enforcement for security and crews to clear debris, which would normally be deployed swiftly in an emergency, now required Noem’s explicit approval after the Texas floods.

“FEMA’s never been quick,” the former official said, adding: “This is slowing down the speed which they had before.”

Emergency search operations for victims of catastrophic flooding in central Texas were suspended on Sunday morning, as renewed warnings of surging waterways forced a halt to efforts. This marks the first time severe weather has paused the search since the initial deluge earlier this month, which claimed at least 129 lives and left more than 170 people unaccounted for following the July 4 weekend floods.

Ingram Fire Department officials ordered search teams to immediately evacuate the Guadalupe River corridor in Kerr County, citing a high potential for flash flooding. As heavy rain continued to fall on Sunday, National Weather Service forecasters warned the Guadalupe River could rise to nearly 4.6 metres (15 feet) by Sunday afternoon – approximately 1.5 metres (five feet) above flood stage. Such a rise would be enough to submerge the Highway 39 bridge near Hunt, a small town home to Camp Mystic. The weather service also cautioned that “numerous secondary roads and bridges are flooded and very dangerous.”

Search-and-rescue operations along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County were halted, and crews evacuated due to the heightened risk. Officials expressed hope that efforts could resume on Monday, contingent on river conditions. Brian Lochte, a spokesman for the Ingram Fire Department, confirmed the anticipated restart, adding: “We’re working with a few crews and airboats and SAR (search-and-rescue) boats just in case.”

With reporting from the AP

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response to the deadly floods that ravaged Texas last week, asserting that her department acted swiftly and received commendation from state officials.

Speaking on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Noem vehemently denied claims that a directive she issued in June — requiring her approval for FEMA expenditures exceeding $100,000 — had impeded the agency’s response speed.

“Those claims are absolutely false,” Noem stated. “Within just an hour or two after the flooding, we had resources from the Department of Homeland Security there.”

Upon taking office in January, President Donald Trump had suggested his administration might abolish FEMA, citing the agency’s alleged mishandling of past disasters and advocating for federal aid to be channelled directly to states.

However, amidst hurricane season and the recent devastation in Texas, Trump and his senior officials have adopted a more conciliatory stance, hinting at a potential rebranding of the agency. “I think he wants it to be remade,” Noem confirmed on Sunday.

Noem did not provide figures contrary to those cited by The New York Times regarding the number of unanswered FEMA calls from those affected by the Texas floods.

At one point, on Monday, July 7, just 15.9 percent of calls were answered, according to documents seen by the outlet.

Noem’s policy of personally approving expenses exceeding $100,000 was cited as delaying the renewal of call center contracts until Thursday, five days after they expired.

House Democrats addressed a letter to President Donald Trump and weather infrastructure officials on Friday, expressing “deep concern” about the flooding in Kerr County, Texas, and the “structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local levels that contributed to the tragic loss of life.”

Gustaf Kilander reports.

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued in the County of San Saba with the National Weather Service forecasting a flood higher than 31 inches on the San Saba River by midnight tonight.

A message from County Judge Jody Fauley reads:

Flood levels forecasted to rise to 31.5′ this evening. The river is rising faster than it did on July 4.

Mandatory Evacuation as attached. All homes that were damaged last Friday need to evacuate their homes in preparation the river rising quickly throughout the day. Please do not be in this designated area after 1:00 pm today.

Recommended Evacuation for all properties that were close to being damaged on Friday. Make plans to evacuate and pay close attention to all water levels.

We anticipate closures of all major roads in and out of San Saba by end of the day.

Search-and-rescue operations along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County were halted on Sunday, and crews have been evacuated due to a high risk of flash flooding. Officials hope to resume efforts on Monday.

KSAT reports that the Ingram Fire Department issued the evacuation order as heavy rainfall on Sunday prompted warnings from the National Weather Service. Forecasters predicted the Guadalupe River could swell to nearly 15 feet (4.6 metres) by Sunday afternoon, five feet above flood stage, submerging the Highway 39 bridge in Hunt, the small town home to Camp Mystic.

Brian Lochte, a spokesman for the fire department, confirmed that search-and-rescue efforts were anticipated to restart on Monday, contingent on river conditions. He added: “We’re working with a few crews and airboats and SAR (search-and-rescue) boats just in case.”

The weather service also cautioned that “numerous secondary roads and bridges are flooded and very dangerous.”