FEMA was ready to respond to this week's floods in Texas—but was delayed by administrative hurdles and approval processes that took 72 hours to resolve.

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.

On a FEMA color-coded hazard map, Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties are shaded dark red, indicating an area with nearly 4.7 million Californians that face the most dire risks of

But a dispute between the state and cable provider Accelecom threatens access for Kentuckians who rely on the network. The Louisville FOX affiliate, WDRB, reported that the state agency overseeing the project blames Accelecom, saying much of the network is unused, under-leased, and failing to recoup its billion-dollar cost to taxpayers.

State Rep. Joe Moody represents El Paso in the Legislature. He co-authored House Bill 13, which would have created a grant program for emergency communications systems around the state. It passed the House, but not the Senate.

As severe flooding devastates parts of Texas, many across the country are asking: What role does FEMA play in disaster response?Experts say the answer starts close to home. According to Dr. Njoki Mwarumba,

Federal agencies including FEMA plan for hurricanes amid a staffing and funding crunch. Concerns emerge over the readiness of FEMA and the National Weather Service as hurricane season gets ...