July 10, 2025
FEMA Administrator Richardson absent as Stafford Act response fails Texas
Director absent as 100+ die in unprecedented flooding
🌪️Disaster Management🔐Ethics
FEMA lost roughly 2,000 full-time staff (one-third of workforce) since Trump took office in Jan. 2025 ahead of hurricane season
Internal FEMA review dated May 12, 2025 concluded agency is 'not ready' for hurricane season due to staffing cuts and leadership turmoil
Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson apparently unaware U.S. had a hurricane season during Jun. 2025 staff briefing, raising competence concerns
Trump and DHS Secretary 
Kristi Noem plan to 'eliminate FEMA as it exists today' after 2025 hurricane season ends
Hurricane season 2025 forecast by NOAA predicts above-normal activity with up to 10 hurricanes, some potentially severe
FEMA hiring freeze and contract renewal process affects majority of disaster response workforce including CORE employees
Agency canceled emergency management trainings and restricted travel to hurricane conferences due to budget and staffing constraints
🌪️Disaster Management🔐Ethics
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
What did a longtime FEMA employee say about FEMA's guidance under Noem?
Q2
How long did Kristi Noem wait to approve FEMA call-center funding after the Texas floods?
Q3
What did the Texas floods represent in U.S. flood history?
Q4
What didn't FEMA acting Administrator David Richardson do during the Texas flood response?
Q5
When did funding for FEMA's disaster survivor hotline lapse after the Texas floods began?
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David Richardson
Acting FEMA Administrator
Kristi Noem
Homeland Security Secretary
Cameron Hamilton
Former Acting FEMA Administrator
Craig Fugate
Former FEMA Director
Laura Grimm
Acting NOAA Administrator