FEMA's New Chief Sparks Controversy Over Hurricane Season Awareness
- Hurricane season remains unknown to the disaster response director.
Let's cut to the chase, y'all. The new dude running the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), David Richardson, has stirred up a real mess amongst his folks. Hear this: some insiders claim that during a meeting, old Davey boi admitted he wasn't clued in about the existence of hurricane season in America.
Now, whether he was joshin' or not, ain't exactly clear, according to four sources who chatted with Reuters, who, by the way, ain't my grandma. The hurricane season kicks off every year on Sunday and runs through November. Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gave us the lowdown on this year's predictions, estimating as many as 10 hurricanes and other nasties.
Trump's FEMA Whittling
Richardson's comments come at a time when the departure of top FEMA officials, staffing reductions, and skimpy hurricane prep work are raising eyebrows and fueling fears that the agency can't handle the upcoming stormy season. Hurricanes, thanks to climate change, are getting more and more fierce and costly, with more folks losing their lives and states racking up hundreds of millions in damages year after year.
Greenhorn at the Helm
The rumors about Richardson's hurricane season ignorance are spooking the living daylights out of FEMA staff, and not just because of the freakishly hot weather. Insiders say it raises concerns about Richardson's grasp of the agency's operations. Neither FEMA nor the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were available for comment when we reached out.
Apparently, ol' Davey's been at the helm since May. He may be a former Marine artillery officer, but he's just a rookie when it comes to emergency management except for a stint at DHS to take on weapons of mass destruction. His predecessor, Cameron Hamilton, was given the boot after publicly locking horns with President Trump over FEMA's future. But insiders claim that the administration had been itching to chuck Hamilton for a while due to his sluggish efforts in reforming FEMA.
Trump has been spittin' fire about chopping FEMA or having the states handle its duties, a part of a broader plan to shave down federal bureaucracy. Since Trump stepped into the Oval Office, close to 2,000 full-time FEMA employees (approximately a third of the crew) have hit the road – either forced out or of their own accord.
- USA
- Donald Trump
- Hurricane Season
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Chief
- Reuters
- Sunday
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- I'm not sure I'm right, but reports suggest that the new chief of FEMA, David Richardson, may not have been aware of the existence of the American hurricane season, which starts every year on Sunday and ends in November.
- Theignorance claim about Richardson's knowledge of hurricane season policy-and-legislation has alarmed FEMA staff, particularly during a time when concerns are rising about the agency's ability to handle the upcoming hurricane season.
- Amidst fears over the upcoming stormy season, car-accidents, fires, crime-and-justice, general-news, and sports-related incidents such as football, especially NFL and NCAA football, pose additional challenges for FEMA.
- The controversial comments made by Richardson have added fuel to the ongoing debate about the future of FEMA, as the Trump administration continues to consider slashing or restructuring the agency as part of its broader plan to reduce federal bureaucracy.
- In the midst of criticism, it seems that Richardson, despite being a former Marine artillery officer, is a greenhorn in emergency management, having only started leading FEMA in May and with limited experience in this field compared to his predecessor.
- The departure of top FEMA officials, staffing reductions, and skimpy hurricane prep work have raised concerns about whether the agency is adequately prepared to handle the harsh realities of climate change and the growing intensity and costliness of hurricanes, leaving Americans to wonder about their nation's readiness for the upcoming hurricane season.
