At Texas Flooding Hearing, State Officials Look Elsewhere for Blame
At Texas Flooding Hearing, State Officials Look Elsewhere for Blame

At several points during the hearing, the state emergency management chief directed attention to the role of local emergency managers in disaster response.
Read the full article on NY Times Politics
Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article's claim about state officials shifting blame is partially supported by sources indicating a focus on local emergency management and federal forecasting. However, some sources contradict the idea of assigning blame, stating lawmakers aren't explicitly doing so. The article exhibits moderate bias by selectively highlighting instances that support the blame-shifting narrative.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim: State emergency management chief directed attention to the role of local emergency managers in disaster response.
- Verification Source #2: Source 2 mentions state and local officials calling out federal forecasters amid deadly flooding, suggesting a focus on external factors.
- Verification Source #5: Source 5 states that state and county emergency response officials are scheduled to be reviewed, which could imply scrutiny of their roles.
- Assessment: Supported. The sources suggest a focus on the roles of both local and federal entities in the disaster response.
- Claim: State officials are looking elsewhere for blame.
- Verification Source #2: Source 2 indicates state and local officials are 'calling out' federal forecasters, which can be interpreted as assigning blame.
- Verification Source #5: Source 5 explicitly states that Texas lawmakers 'aren't out to assign blame'.
- Assessment: Mixed. Source 2 supports the claim, while Source 5 directly contradicts it. This suggests a nuanced situation where blame assignment may be occurring implicitly, but not explicitly.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Source 2: State and local officials are calling out federal forecasters amid deadly flooding in the Texas Hill Country over the extended Fourth of July weekend.
- Source 5: Texas lawmakers review catastrophic floods but say they aren't out to assign blame