Fact Check: FEMA did not answer nearly two-thirds of disaster assistance calls after floods.

Fact Check: "FEMA did not answer nearly two-thirds of disaster assistance calls after floods."

What We Know

Recent reports indicate that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) faced significant challenges in responding to calls for disaster assistance following catastrophic floods in Central Texas. According to documents reviewed by The New York Times, FEMA did not answer approximately two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance line on July 6, 2025. This situation arose after FEMA had terminated the contracts of hundreds of call center contractors on July 5, which led to a drastic reduction in call handling capacity. On July 6, FEMA received 2,363 calls but only managed to answer 846, resulting in a response rate of about 35.8% (source-5).

The situation worsened on July 7, when FEMA received 16,419 calls and answered only 2,613, translating to a mere 15.9% response rate (source-5). The delays were attributed to the decision by Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, to not renew the contracts for call center services until several days after they expired, which contributed to the agency's inability to handle the influx of calls effectively (source-5).

Analysis

The claim that FEMA did not answer nearly two-thirds of disaster assistance calls is supported by multiple credible sources. The data from The New York Times is corroborated by reports from CNN, which also highlighted the delays in FEMA's response due to the contract issues. The documents reviewed indicate a clear timeline where the agency's responsiveness dropped significantly after the contractors were let go, leading to a substantial backlog of unanswered calls.

Critically, the reliability of the sources is high. The New York Times is a well-respected news organization known for its investigative journalism. CNN also has a reputation for thorough reporting, particularly on political and governmental issues. Both outlets based their reports on internal documents and statements from FEMA officials, which adds credibility to their findings.

Furthermore, experts in disaster preparedness have expressed serious concerns about FEMA's response. Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, described the situation as "horrific," emphasizing the critical need for timely assistance in the aftermath of disasters (source-5). This expert opinion reinforces the severity of FEMA's failure to respond adequately during this crisis.

Conclusion

The claim that FEMA did not answer nearly two-thirds of disaster assistance calls following the floods is True. The evidence from multiple reputable sources confirms that FEMA's response was severely hampered by the termination of call center contracts, leading to a significant drop in the number of calls answered during a critical time for disaster survivors.

Fact Check: FEMA did not answer nearly two-thirds of disaster assistance calls after floods.