Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been exerting more direct control over the agency, which President Donald Trump has talked about "getting rid of."

As devastating floods ripped through Kerr County, Texas, late last week, Noem waited four days to sign off on Urban Search and Rescue crews, approve aerial imaging requested by the state, and bring in additional staff for FEMA’s disaster call center, sources told CNN. The disaster killed at least 120 people and left about 160 missing.

In the days since flash flooding killed at least 120 people in Texas, President Donald Trump has pledged unwavering support for the deep-red state, lauding Republican Governor Greg Abbott and other local officials for their "incredible" response to the July 4 disaster.

Q: Is it true that if President Donald Trump hadn’t defunded the National Weather Service, the death toll in the Texas flooding would have been far lower or nonexistent? A: The Trump administration did not defund the NWS but did reduce the staff by 600 people.

President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency chief has thrown his weight behind right-wing conspiracy theories that have spread online in the wake of the Texas floods.

Follow for live updates in the Texas flooding as the death toll rises to 120, as rescue operations start to shift to recovery phase

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is facing intense backlash after CNN reported that she slowed federal resources to the devastating Texas floods.

Senator Katie Britt expressed deep sorrow over the tragic flash floods in Texas Hill Country, which claimed young lives and left many missing. Honoring victims like 8-year-old Sarah Marsh, she praised first responders and urged national compassion and support for grieving families amid one of Texas’s largest rescue efforts.