David Richardson, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told staff during a Monday morning operational briefing that he "did not know the U.S. has a hurricane season," a remark that stunned agency employees and reignited internal concerns over his leadership, according to multiple sources familiar with the meeting.
The comment was made at the close of FEMA's 8:30 a.m. daily interagency call, which was attended by hundreds of staffers. While it remains unclear whether Richardson, a former Marine artillery officer with no prior experience in disaster response, was joking, three current and former FEMA employees told CBS News the statement appeared to be genuine and deeply unsettled staff.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson later attempted to downplay the episode, telling CBS: "Despite meanspirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy, there is no uncertainty about what FEMA will be doing this Hurricane Season. FEMA is laser focused on disaster response, and protecting the American people."
Richardson was appointed in May following the abrupt firing of his predecessor, Cameron Hamilton, who had clashed with the Trump administration over the direction of the agency. FEMA, which operates under DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, has been undergoing a major restructuring as part of President Donald Trump's broader push to downsize the federal government.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast an "above-normal" Atlantic hurricane season this year, predicting 13 to 19 named storms, including up to 10 hurricanes and as many as five major hurricanes.
Amid this forecast, FEMA has seen dramatic upheaval. Approximately one-third of its full-time workforce-roughly 2,000 employees-have either left or been dismissed since the start of Trump's second term. Richardson has told staff he will not issue a new disaster response plan, contradicting his previous pledge during a May 15 town hall that a new plan would be ready for review by May 23.
He said he didn't want to counter the FEMA Review Council, one source told Reuters. The council, created by Trump, includes DHS Secretary Noem and several state governors.
Agency insiders say the lack of strategic guidance and sharp reduction in hurricane preparedness training-stemming from travel and communication restrictions-have left state and local emergency managers underprepared.
Richardson's remark Monday further exacerbated existing concerns about his readiness to lead. One DHS source said staff were already "flustered" by his dual role, as Richardson also continues to oversee DHS's Office for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Richardson, a former Marine artillery officer, has no prior experience in disaster response, according to reporting from Reuters and CBS News.
Despite previously endorsing FEMA's downsizing, Noem signed off in May on Richardson's request to retain 2,600 short-term disaster workers, who comprise 40% of FEMA's deployable force. Still, many within the agency remain worried that structural instability, compounded by unclear messaging, could leave the U.S. vulnerable during what could be a record-setting hurricane season.
