Over 300 Dead or Missing in Texas, USA Due to Heavy Rain... Search and Rescue Halted

[Financial News] As heavy rain once again hits Texas, USA, where 129 people died and over 160 are missing due to flash floods, search operations are being delayed. This comes just two days after President Donald Trump visited the affected area, sparking a dispute over the response by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
On the 13th (local time), according to the New York Times (NYT) and Washington Post (WP), heavy rain accompanied by strong winds hit central Texas, issuing flood warnings in the Guadalupe River basin, including the flood-affected areas, halting the search for missing persons.
Flood warnings have been issued in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Angelo in Texas, as well as parts of eastern and central Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. In central New Mexico, flood advisories have been issued in the mountains east of Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
In some parts of Texas, up to about 254mm of rain fell until the morning. About 101.6~152.4mm of rain fell in areas such as Fort Hood near Killeen, Colorado Bend State Park, the Mason Mountains, and northwest of Llano.
As the rain gradually subsided from the afternoon, flood warnings were downgraded to flood advisories in some areas, and searches resumed in Kerr County, but searches remain halted in other areas.
On the 11th, President Trump visited Kerrville, Texas, an affected area, and held a press conference directing a swift response. However, the dispute over FEMA's response continues.
In an NBC News interview that day, Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, claimed, "FEMA responded quickly, and Texas authorities praised it."
Secretary Noem particularly dismissed criticism that an internal memo requiring prior approval for FEMA expenditures over $100,000 (about 137.95 million won) delayed the response, saying, "It is not true at all." She stated, "Within an hour or two of the flood, Department of Homeland Security resources were deployed on-site."
However, according to British media, it was revealed that Secretary Noem had specified in a memo sent to agencies under the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA, on the 11th of last month, that all contracts over $100,000 must be submitted to the Secretary's office and "must undergo at least a five-day review," reigniting the controversy.
According to four current and former FEMA officials who requested anonymity, "The restriction on expenditure approval delayed the deployment of rescue teams," further escalating the controversy.
A former FEMA official revealed, "Resources that used to be deployed immediately, such as security personnel and road maintenance saw operators, now have to go through Secretary approval, causing delays," adding, "FEMA was never a fast organization, but now it's even slower."
In relation to this, the New York Times (NT) also reported that "Texas flood victims made thousands of calls, but there was no response." This also raised suspicions that Secretary Noem did not renew the call center contract.
In response, Secretary Noem stated, "The contract was valid, and not a single employee was off duty," adding, "Everyone was answering calls." According to internal documents, Secretary Noem approved the call center support contract on the 10th, but specific details have not yet been disclosed.
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chae-wan Reporter