According to Reuters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( Fema )’s new head told employees on Monday that he did not know that the country was experiencing hurricane season. During a presentation, David Richardson, who took over as head of Fema in first May, made this statement. The team was unsure whether the statement was intended as humor or whether it should be taken literally. The cyclone season officially began on Sunday and continues through November. Up to 10 storms were just forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for this year’s time. A spokesperson for the department of homeland security clarified that the note was intended as humor and supported Fema’s storms preparation. They claimed that Fema is transitioning from a simplified disaster response organization that enables claims to give member pleasure under Secretary Kristi Noem and Richardson’s management. Despite past communications to employees about a new strategy in May, sources informed Reuters that Richardson indicated during the briefing that there would be no changes to the current disaster response protocols. Given current senior staff departures, labor cuts, and decreased hurricane preparations, Richardson’s remarks have heightened existing concerns about FEMA’s cyclone season readiness. Political officials had a critical response. Chuck Schumer, the head of the Senate, questioned Richardson’s continued leadership on X. And I’m not aware of why he hasn’t been fired however.
Representative Bennie Thompson issued a statement to Reuters saying: “Suffice to say, disaster response is no joke. If you don’t know what or when hurricane season is, you’re not qualified to run FEMA. Get someone knowledgeable in there.”Annual hurricane damage costs hundreds of millions and claims numerous lives across US states. Climate change has intensified these storms’ destructiveness and financial impact.
