CNN: New Reporting Says FEMA Didn’t Answer Thousands of Texas Flood Survivor Calls

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for joining Me ░░░░░░░░ Saturday I m fredricka ░░░░░░░░ and we begin with ░░░░░░░░ News on The aftermath ░░░░░░░░ the deadly floods that ░░░░░░░░ central Texas As residents ░░░░░░░░ to put their lives ░░░░░░░░ together There s new ░░░░░░░░ from the new York ░░░░░░░░ that says Documents reveal ░░░░░░░░ did Not answer thousands ░░░░░░░░ Calls from flood survivors ░░░░░░░░ report that the agency ░░░░░░░░ to Answer calls in ░░░░░░░░ timely Manner because it ░░░░░░░░ fired hundreds of contractors ░░░░░░░░ their call centers The ░░░░░░░░ quoting a response to ░░░░░░░░ reporting from a spokesperson ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Homeland ░░░░░░░░ which oversees FEMA Quoting ░░░░░░░░ Now when a natural ░░░░░░░░ strikes phone calls surge ░░░░░░░░ wait times can subsequently ░░░░░░░░ Despite this expected influx ░░░░░░░░ s disaster call center ░░░░░░░░ to every caller swiftly ░░░░░░░░ efficiently ensuring no one ░░░░░░░░ left without assistance End ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ noting that FEMA faced ░░░░░░░░ challenges in the days ░░░░░░░░ weeks after Hurricane Helene ░░░░░░░░ milton hit the south ░░░░░░░░ says the data shows ░░░░░░░░ agency did not answer ░░░░░░░░ half the 500 000 ░░░░░░░░ incoming calls The reporting ░░░░░░░░ as hundreds turned out ░░░░░░░░ night in kerrville Texas ░░░░░░░░ honor the people killed ░░░░░░░░ those still missing To ░░░░░░░░ Grace how Sweet The ░░░░░░░░ That saved A wretch ░░░░░░░░ me CNN s Julia ░░░░░░░░ Jones joining us from ░░░░░░░░ the FEMA disaster recovery ░░░░░░░░ set up in kerrville ░░░░░░░░ Julia what more can ░░░░░░░░ tell us Yeah fred ░░░░░░░░ is where those residents ░░░░░░░░ by the floods can ░░░░░░░░ to apply for some ░░░░░░░░ the benefits and help ░░░░░░░░ FEMA that would not ░░░░░░░░ covered for by their ░░░░░░░░ They also can be ░░░░░░░░ to some of these ░░░░░░░░ institutions organizations that have ░░░░░░░░ up You know we ░░░░░░░░ seen hundreds of volunteers ░░░░░░░░ together here to help ░░░░░░░░ neighbors but there s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of questions ░░░░░░░░ a lot of a ░░░░░░░░ of feelings about FEMA ░░░░░░░░ in kerrville where people ░░░░░░░░ that it took too ░░░░░░░░ that there are questions ░░░░░░░░ how long really it ░░░░░░░░ for that help to ░░░░░░░░ rolled out And echoing ░░░░░░░░ reporting from The New ░░░░░░░░ Times Fred there where ░░░░░░░░ also had you know ░░░░░░░░ hours before those teams ░░░░░░░░ cleared to get here ░░░░░░░░ the ground and residents ░░░░░░░░ have felt that We ░░░░░░░░ learned that kerr county ░░░░░░░░ had warned in a ░░░░░░░░ to FEMA back in ░░░░░░░░ of the possibility of ░░░░░░░░ disaster like this one ░░░░░░░░ requested specifically that system ░░░░░░░░ implemented like sirens for ░░░░░░░░ something that did not ░░░░░░░░ and was not implemented ░░░░░░░░ could have saved hundreds ░░░░░░░░ lives This was a ░░░░░░░░ plus page document submitted ░░░░░░░░ before this tragedy warning ░░░░░░░░ exactly what could have ░░░░░░░░ And we re also ░░░░░░░░ that FEMA removed dozens ░░░░░░░░ camp mystic buildings from ░░░░░░░░ 100 year flood map ░░░░░░░░ expansion Expansion Rather tell ░░░░░░░░ about that Yeah So ░░░░░░░░ a previous map of ░░░░░░░░ flood zone here in ░░░░░░░░ special flood hazard areas ░░░░░░░░ is called okay the ░░░░░░░░ mystic all of its ░░░░░░░░ and structures were included ░░░░░░░░ this This dates back ░░░░░░░░ 2011 That would have ░░░░░░░░ that the camp would ░░░░░░░░ had to have flood ░░░░░░░░ and would also be ░░░░░░░░ to more strict regulations ░░░░░░░░ what it could and ░░░░░░░░ not do But then ░░░░░░░░ was an appeal In ░░░░░░░░ 15 different buildings were ░░░░░░░░ from that flood zone ░░░░░░░░ and then years later ░░░░░░░░ 2019 they removed another ░░░░░░░░ structures This is both ░░░░░░░░ the original 99 year ░░░░░░░░ camp fred as well ░░░░░░░░ new structures built in ░░░░░░░░ lake nearby So old ░░░░░░░░ new structures some of ░░░░░░░░ were in what is ░░░░░░░░ here And I m ░░░░░░░░ flash flood alley Now ░░░░░░░░ could have been to ░░░░░░░░ have to pay for ░░░░░░░░ flood insurance They might ░░░░░░░░ even have been eligible ░░░░░░░░ flood insurance there but ░░░░░░░░ just paints a picture ░░░░░░░░ just how dangerous this ░░░░░░░░ was and how subject ░░░░░░░░ were to the elements ░░░░░░░░ this spot It s ░░░░░░░░ is striking that all ░░░░░░░░ this documentation we re ░░░░░░░░ uncovering that where people ░░░░░░░░ and tried to warn ░░░░░░░░ of what could have ░░░░░░░░ Both you know from ░░░░░░░░ flood area map as ░░░░░░░░ as these other documents ░░░░░░░░ by The New York ░░░░░░░░ all of this just ░░░░░░░░ you how how