FEMA officials say Noem took days to sign off on the deployment of resources to assist with the search and recovery efforts.

Sources have said FEMA wasn’t authorized to launch search and rescue teams until 72 hours after flooding began.

July 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called on Wednesday for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be eliminated in its current form, even as the disaster-relief agency deployed specialists and supplies to Texas to help respond to devastating floods.