Richardson was sharply criticized for reacting very slowly to the catastrophic floods in Texas’ Hill Country in July, NBC News said. During the July 4 floods, more than 130 people died, including 27 girls and counselors at Camp Mystic, a Christian youth camp.
FEMA crisis criticism grows
Richardson could not be reached for 24 hours during the emergency, and later it was revealed he was on vacation for the holiday weekend.He had no emergency management experience before taking the acting FEMA chief job.
The White House gave no comments and directed all questions to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA. Richardson is a former Marine Corps officer and became acting FEMA chief in May after Cameron Hamilton was pushed out. Axios also confirmed that Richardson resigned after about six months in the position.
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FEMA restructuring under Trump
Axios reported that he lacked experience in managing natural disasters, which became a major criticism after the Texas flooding disaster. A DHS spokesperson told Axios that FEMA and DHS “extend their sincere appreciation” to Richardson for delivering “historic funding” to several states and cutting “serious government waste and inefficiency” during the 2025 hurricane season.The Trump administration is preparing to restructure FEMA after hurricane season ends, which may leave disaster response to individual states. FEMA will soon release the Review Council’s final report on reorganization plans, a DHS spokesperson told Axios. Richardson replaced Cameron Hamilton, who was fired in May after telling lawmakers he did not support Trump’s plan to dismantle FEMA. When Richardson was appointed, he kept his other job as assistant secretary for DHS’ weapons of mass destruction office. At a June briefing, Richardson shocked employees by saying he did not know the U.S. had a hurricane season, but DHS later said it was a joke.
FAQs
Q1. Why did David Richardson resign from FEMA?
He resigned after months of major criticism over his slow response to deadly Texas floods and his lack of disaster management experience.
Q2. What changes are planned for FEMA under the Trump administration?
The administration is preparing a FEMA restructuring plan that may shift more disaster response duties to individual states.