Gov. Abbott activates statewide emergency response teams ahead of the storm as Texas is bracing for a tropical system expected to bring severe rain and flood risks.

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — After the devastating Fourth of July flooding in Kerr County that claimed the lives of 137 people, FEMA is under intense scrutiny from members of Congress over its response to the disaster, including claims that thousands of calls from survivors went unanswered in the critical days that followed.

Former FEMA official Jeremy Edwards joined Morning Joe after the resignation of the agency’s Urban Search and Rescue chief, who reportedly quit over the Trump administration’s delayed response to deadly flooding in Texas.

Several states and two Native American tribes waited months for disaster aid, while hundreds of requests for critical emergency services remain on hold.

Testimony will be heard from those in charge of managing rivers as well as emergency managers and first responders about the flash flooding that killed at least 135 people.

Ingram officials have been waiting to hear from Kerr County’s emergency management coordinator after feeling as if they were on their own during the devastating July 4 flooding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, said Wednesday that it will keep its Disaster Outreach Center open through Friday.

A bill Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed in 2019 could have increased participation in phone-based emergency warning systems, according to experts and the bill’s