FEMA Chief Reportedly Told Staff He Was Unaware There's a Hurricane Season

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: MEDIAite

Jun 2nd, 2025, 6:56 pm


The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency left staffers “baffled” during a meeting on Monday when he said he was unaware the U.S. has a hurricane season, according to Reuters. Hurricane season in the U.S. begins on June 1 and continues through November.

Citing four sources familiar with the all-hands staff meeting, Reuters reported that it was unclear whether Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson was joking. “Richardson’s comment purporting ignorance about hurricane season spread among agency staff, spurring confusion and reigniting concern about his lack of familiarity with FEMA’s operations, said three sources,” Reuters stated.

The outlet went on to note that Richardson, who does not have disaster response experience, told agency employees that FEMA will not release a new disaster plan, lest it contradict the FEMA Review Council, which President Donald Trump created to evaluate the agency. Reuters said officials from FEMA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, did not respond to requests for comment.

Prior to leading FEMA, Richardson was the DHS assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction. Trump has suggested he may try to eliminate FEMA and leave disaster response up to the states.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/fema-chief-reportedly-told-staff-he-was-unaware-theres-a-hurricane-season/

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And another instance of "no words".

[3catwoman3]

1. This is criminal.

[electric_blue68]

2. 😑Geeebzz. Ignorant drumphf picks Ignorant FEMA Chief

Last edited Tue Jun 3, 2025, 09:57 PM - Edit history (1)

[Deuxcents]

3. This is astounding..I thought it was The Onion until I checked

[vapor2]

4. EVERY SINGLE NOMINEE IS INCOMPETENT, INEXPERIENCED AND IGNORANT

[magicarpet]

5. Does he know what a tornado is ?

Has he ever heard of one ?

trDUMP picks only the best. The most knowledgeable, informed, and brightest.

Fascist frat-boys is all he wants in his cabinet.

[republianmushroom]

6. Surprise, surprise.

Live and learn, little dude.

[Paladin]

7. That sort of blatant ignorance will cost some lives---maybe a lot of lives.

We are so completely fucked, right now.

[generalbetrayus]

8. If this were anyone other than a Orange Julius Caesar appointee,

I would assume he was joking.

[aegs29576]

9. All about the $$

Appointments are based on the size of the check, not the ability to perform the role.

[Hekate]

10. Remember "Heckuva job, Brownie? " Jobs like FEMA Director shd never be filled by political patronage

[LudwigPastorius]

11. Sounds like the staffers under Richardson don't take to being bullied by an asshole.

...and are willing to report to the media every single instance of his incompetence.

New FEMA head tells staff: "Don't get in my way… I will run right over you"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fema-acting-administrator-david-richardson-staff-meeting/

[RobinA]

19. Unfortunately

The best way to counter people like that is don't get in their way. Sadly, it's going to take a big mess to counter this FEMA shite and people will die. The sooner this guy slips beneath the waves for the last time, the sooner there's hope for someone running FEMA who actually experienced a storm. Or an earthquake. Some something else serious.

[orleans]

12. i'm gonna say that asshole wasn't joking & that he just didn't know there was a hurricane season

b/c all of trump's appointees are fucking twisted idiots... just like the moron in the white house

[get the red out]

16. I don't know which is worse

Joking about hurricane season, or being top-level ignorant!

[Marcuse]

13. David Richardson is uniquely qualified to further the Administration's agenda for FEMA and NOAA.

Last edited Wed Jun 4, 2025, 06:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Prior to leading FEMA, Richardson was the DHS assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction.

[RainCaster]

14. Trump hires nothing but the best

He knows the best people.
Florida will be very appreciative of the knowledge this clown brings to FEMA.

[love_katz]

15. Wiw. Just...wow.

I'm so glad that I don't live in hurricane prone areas.
This kind of ignorance, incompetence and cold blooded murderous indifference is just jaw dropping.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

17. Perhaps if the FEMA Director watched The Weather Channel from time to time,,,,,,

He would know and learn something about Hurricane Season as well as other weather events.

But NOOOOOOO!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

18. Maddow Blog-As hurricane season begins, Trump's FEMA chief once again fails to inspire confidence

It was a problem when the acting FEMA chief jokingly said he didn't know the U.S. has a hurricane season, but it wasn't the only problem in his remarks.

It was a problem when Trump’s acting FEMA chief said he didn't know the United States has a hurricane season.

It was a bigger problem when he apparently said FEMA wouldn’t come up with a new hurricane-response plan for 2025. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-06-03T13:03:10.958Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hurricane-season-begins-trumps-fema-chief-fails-inspire-confidence-rcna210569

He was soon replaced by David Richardson, who has no background in emergency management, and who, on his first day as the agency’s acting chief, told FEMA’s staff that he would “run right over” anyone who gets in his way. A month later, as Reuters reported, Richardson continues to make newsworthy comments.

Staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency were left baffled on Monday after the head of the U.S. disaster agency said he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season, according to four sources familiar with the situation. The remark was made during a briefing by David Richardson, who has led FEMA since early May.

As NBC News reported, administration officials didn’t deny that Richardson made the comments, though the defense was that the acting FEMA director was joking. A statement from the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, added that the allegations that Richardson was sincere about his ignorance were “meanspirited.”

Among those who actually heard the comments, there was apparently some question as to whether Richardson was kidding or not, but either way, this was a curious thing for an acting FEMA chief to joke about two days into hurricane season......

Unfortunately, the alleged “joke” wasn’t the only newsworthy part of Richardson’s comments. The Wall Street Journal reported, for example, that the Trump-appointed official also announced that FEMA had scrapped plans to come up with a hurricane-response plan, choosing instead to simply reuse last year’s plan.....

Looking ahead, Americans might get lucky. It’s possible that the projections are wrong and the United States won’t have to deal with any deadly hurricanes this year — or for that matter, in the coming years. Maybe there won’t be any real-world consequences tied to the administration’s latest moves at FEMA, NWS and NOAA.

But as the president and his team move further away from responsible governing and disaster preparedness, counting on good fortune hardly seems like a wise strategy.