Acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Richardson, resigned Monday after only six months on the job.
It is unclear why Mr. Richardson is leaving, but he has faced intense scrutiny during his short tenure, specifically regarding a summer flood that wreaked havoc in Texas’ Hill Country.
The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA thanked him for his “dedicated service” and wished him continued success in his return to the private sector, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.
“Mr. Richardson led FEMA through the 2025 hurricane season, delivering historic funding to North Carolina, Texas, Florida, New Mexico and Alaska, and overseeing a comprehensive review that identified and eliminated serious governmental waste and inefficiency, while refocusing the agency to deliver swift resources to Americans in crisis,” the statement said.
FEMA Chief of Staff Karen Evans will step into the agency’s top job starting Dec. 1, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to The Washington Times.
Mr. Richardson replaced Cameron Hamilton in May, after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem removed Mr. Hamilton after he publicly disagreed with the Trump administration’s goal of dismantling the agency.
Mr. Richardson previously worked for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.
His resignation comes months after he was the face of the nation’s disaster response agency during the flood disaster in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.
FEMA faced heavy criticism over its response to the catastrophic floods in Central Texas that killed 130 people, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic.
Mr. Richardson was inaccessible for hours after the flood, as it was later confirmed that he had been on vacation over the holiday weekend.
The month prior, Reuters reported that Mr. Richardson said he had not been aware that the country had a hurricane season. While it was unclear whether it was a joke, multiple lawmakers blasted him, such as Sen. Edward Markey, Massachusetts Democrat, calling him “incompetent.”
Mr. Richardson also said that the agency was “not ready” for the 2025 hurricane season during a staff conference call in May.
The FEMA Review Council is expected to soon deliver a report to President Trump that outlines recommendations to restructure and reshape the agency.
