As monstrous floodwaters surged across central Texas late last week, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency leapt into action, preparing to deploy critical search and rescue teams and life-saving resources,

July 9 (Reuters) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency should be eliminated in its current form and reconfigured to respond more effectively to natural disasters, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a meeting on reforming FEMA on Wednesday.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did not authorize the deployment of Federal Emergency Management Agency urban search-and-rescue teams in the Texas Hill Country flood disaster until more than 72 hours after the crisis began,