Disastrous Relief

Noem: People forget that the states are older than the constitution and that they created the constitution—federalism matters and states’ rights need to be respected. pic.twitter.com/AWokx8RSyz

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 9, 2025

The last time I heard anyone talking about “states’ rights” was in high school history class. My teachers (yes, two of them; I can’t remember why) insisted the Civil War was not about slavery, but about “states’ rights.”

I’ve known ever since what that phrase means; and I’ve never heard it used any other way, except the one I learned so long ago: states have the rights to treat some people the way they fucking want to. Here, Noem is extending that “right” to the federal government.

H/T: https://t.co/YVRlFqLUh6

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 9, 2025

Yeah, about that:

Despite Trump officially activating FEMA on Sunday, FEMA has just 86 total staff deployed at this point, according to figures shared with staff Monday evening. That includes a national incident management team, plus regional and headquarter staff. In the past it would normally be in the several hundreds at this point in the disaster recovery process. “We are doing a lot less than normal,” the FEMA staffer said.

Though a formal emergency declaration was announced Sunday, which makes it possible for people to apply for FEMA funding, the teams meant to help victims implement the process have yet to be deployed. Typically in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, FEMA will set up multiple disaster recovery centers to give locals information and educate them about eligibility. But because of the DHS bottleneck, the FEMA staffer says, everything is delayed. “This means people are going to have a hard time getting assistance.”

In an email Monday evening, FEMA staffers finally got word that search and rescue teams were being deployed to Texas. Thus far the search and rescue teams who have been working tirelessly since Friday have been deployed by Texas and neighboring states.

So the flood was July 4; FEMA was activated on the 6th; as of the 7th there were 86 FEMA personnel on the ground, fir a disaster involving 300 dead and missing (no idea now how many homeless), over six counties. Yeah, that’s plenty of help. Sometime today, or tomorrow, or…who knows ?, more rescuers will show up to help…find bodies??At this point, that’s about all that’s left. That and clearing debris:

“We don’t even know where to start,” Smith says, reporting huge piles of branches, refrigerators and furniture where the water flowed deepest, but they’re worried most about their fellow central Texans who didn’t fare as well. “We were driving around at lunchtime,” Smith recalls, “and my husband said, ‘Tragic isn’t a strong enough word.’”

FEMA is supposed to provide funding for debris removal. We’ll see if they do. FEMA is also supposed to be providing providing food and shelter. All I can say about the former is: Thank God for H-E-B.

Regional grocery chain icon H-E-B is famously reluctant to respond to media inquiries about its charitable and disaster relief efforts in the state, preferring to keep the focus on the people who need help and other organizations it’s joined with like the volunteer group Texas Search and Rescue. But its role doesn’t go unnoticed. In fact, it’s widely revered. Affectionately called “Texas’ FEMA,” H-E-B has a long history of stepping up in a big way, and people who have received their help often report their dedicated disaster response trucks arrived before any government assistance, and then were the last to leave.

It’s not just 18-wheelers of food and supplies, either — they also deploy mobile kitchens staffed by its disaster relief and public relations teams, along with other teams and volunteers from around the company, to serve people who are affected, volunteers, officials and first responders alike. It’s always personal, because the chain’s 455 stores cover most of the sizable state (and a little bit of Mexico), but this time, the recent floods have literally hit home. H-E-B’s first store opened in Kerrville in 1905, as just a few shelves in one room of the family home. Some of the people now receiving its help are its own area employees.

“Our H-E-B Family is heartbroken by the enormous devastation and loss caused by the flooding in and around the Kerrville area,” the grocery chain said in a brief Instagram post, “We are grateful to local authorities, first responders, and volunteers for their tireless efforts … Our teams are staying close to the hardest-hit areas, and we will continue to provide needed support as these tragic situations evolve.”

In addition to the meals on the ground, H-E-B has also committed to a $5 million donation for aid and recovery from these floods, and is coordinating donations from the public both at in-store checkstands and online through its Spirit of Giving Fund.

I really don’t expect FEMA to catch up; or Noem to ever understand the scope of the disaster.