The new head of FEMA, David Richardson, shocked agency staff when he reportedly said he didn’t know the United States has a hurricane season. The comment came during a staff briefing on Monday—just as hurricane season officially began on June 1.
Four sources told Reuters that Richardson, who took over FEMA in May, made the remark during a closed-door meeting. He’s a former Marine artillery officer and Homeland Security official—but has no background in disaster response.
His lack of knowledge comes at a time when the Trump administration is trying to dismantle FEMA. The plan: shift disaster responsibilities to individual states and shrink the federal agency’s role.
The situation inside FEMA is already shaky. Training for local emergency managers has reportedly been cut. In May, acting FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton was fired after telling Congress he didn’t support shutting down the agency.
Richardson also told staff he was holding off on a new disaster response plan to avoid clashing with the administration’s review of FEMA. This, despite saying last month a plan would be ready by the end of May.
When asked, FEMA claimed the hurricane comment was a joke. In a statement, the agency said: “FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens.”
But internal documents suggest otherwise. CNN obtained a FEMA review ordered by Richardson that admits that “FEMA is not ready.”
And time is running out. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned of a 60% chance this year’s hurricane season will be worse than normal.
FEMA has already lost nearly 2,000 workers due to firings or resignations during Trump’s time in office. Preparations for storms have slowed.
Trump has openly attacked the agency, accusing it of being bloated and ineffective. He’s threatened to eliminate it entirely.
“We’ll overhaul FEMA—or maybe get rid of it,” Trump said earlier this year.
He’s also repeatedly spread false claims about the agency. On the campaign trail, he accused President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of ignoring storm victims in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene—despite both visiting the area and federal aid being delivered.
Trump has also threatened to block wildfire aid to California unless the state adopts policies he supports.
For now, FEMA is caught in the middle: a stripped-down agency, led by someone who reportedly just learned the country even has a hurricane season.
