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FEMA Tornado Mapping Lapsed Under Noem’s Approval Rules, Leaving Rescuers Without Key Data

A tightened DHS signoff requirement kept a $200,000 renewal on hold, blocking a tool that pinpoints tornado paths for rapid search and rescue.

Workers clear tree branches covering a fishing boat following storms and tornado warnings in Three Rivers, Michigan, on March 7, 2026.
A home is heavily damaged after being hit by a tornado in Lake Village, Indiana, on March 11, 2026.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Headquarters Building in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2026.
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Overview

  • FEMA’s contract for tornado-tracking data expired in February, and the renewal is stalled in DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s spending review that requires her personal approval for requests over $100,000.
  • Search-and-rescue teams responding to dozens of tornadoes from Texas to Michigan reported operating without the mapping feed, saying they had to drive around or rely on news reports to locate the hardest-hit areas.
  • At least 11 people were killed in the severe storms, and officials from several states pressed acting FEMA chief Karen Evans to secure the renewal with more tornadoes in the forecast.
  • During a partial DHS shutdown, Noem instructed FEMA to restrict work to bare-minimum life-saving operations, and an internal email from Evans told regions that all activities should cease except a few listed exceptions.
  • As of this week the contract remained unrenewed, Noem remains in charge of procurement until month’s end, and President Trump has nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her.