Twenty states joined forces in the wake of deadly flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, filing a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the federal government — over what plaintiffs assert was an unlawful decision to strip FEMA of critical disaster response funding in April.

What's happening?

Twenty states filed a federal lawsuit in Boston on July 16 against the above-named defendants, claiming they acted unlawfully in unilaterally terminating the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program on April 4.

At the time, a press release attributed to FEMA called BRIC "yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program," claiming it was "more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters."

Per a New York Times report published on July 16, the administration "offered no examples or evidence to back up" those assertions.

After the suit was filed, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell explained why the states filed suit against the government and federal agencies, citing the agency's poor response in Texas.

"In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states, it's clear just how critical federal resources are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters," Campbell commented. 

"By abruptly and unlawfully shutting down the BRIC program, this administration is abandoning states and local communities that rely on federal funding to protect their residents and, in the event of disaster, save lives."

Why is FEMA funding so important?

Tragedy struck Kerr County in the early morning hours of July 4, when atmospheric conditions and heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to "rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes."

Over 130 people died, including several young girls who'd been attending Camp Mystic in the affected area. 

On July 11, the Times reported that in the immediate aftermath, "nearly two-thirds" of calls placed by flood survivors to FEMA went unanswered — and that the agency laid off contracted staff on July 5.

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Texas is not alone as the state grapples with flash floods. New York and New Jersey have both experienced abnormal flooding — a form of extreme weather — in July alone.

FEMA's loss of funding wasn't the only controversial change to occur before hurricane season. 

The National Weather Service and NOAA were both targeted in sweeping cuts earlier this year, leaving many Americans with less time to prepare for extreme weather, and little assistance for disaster recovery.

What's being done about this?

In their suit, the twenty states requested judicial action to declare several actions taken to dismantle FEMA "unlawful."

Plaintiffs further asked the judge to "vacate and set aside Defendants' termination of the BRIC program," among other specific forms of relief.

A representative for FEMA declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.

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