The editorial board of the state’s biggest newspaper compared the response effort to the debacle that followed Hurricane Katrina.

By Ted Hesson and Nathan Layne WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday defended FEMA's response to deadly floods in Texas last week, saying her agency acted swiftly and that Texas officials had praised the administration's actions.

The Department of Homeland Security secretary defended the federal government's response and denied that policy changes slowed the agency's deployment.