Fact Check: FEMA's acting head David Richardson said he did not know about US hurricane season
Claim:
Acting head of Federal Emergency Management Agency David Richardson said he did not know the U.S. had a hurricane season each year.
Rating:
Context:
An official from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, later said Richardson was joking when he said these words.
According to rumors that spread online in early June 2025, David Richardson, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said he did not know the U.S. had a hurricane season each year.
For example, a user posted a video on Facebook (archived) claiming Richardson said this during an all-staff meeting at FEMA, which "sent alarm bells" among the rank and file:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1380951546486147
As of this writing, the post had amassed more than 51,000 likes and 2,800 comments. The claim appeared on other platforms, including X, Bluesky Reddit and TikTok.
The claims stemmed from a June 2, 2025, Reuters report that Richardson had said he was not aware the U.S. had a hurricane season, which runs each year from June 1 to Nov 30. Citing four anonymous sources who had direct knowledge of the situation, Reuters reported that Richardson made this remark during a staff briefing.
Snopes was able to confirm that Richardson said this, so the claim is true. However, an official at the Department of Homeland Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said in an email that he had done so in jest.
The report fueled preexisting concerns that the agency was not prepared for the 2025 hurricane season following Richardson's appointment in May. On May 16, 2025, CBS News reported an internal review had shown that following staff and budget cuts, FEMA was not ready to face a season the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expected to be above normal for hurricane activity. The review, CBS said, was dated May 12, 2025.
The DHS official said in the email that rumors of unpreparedness were false:
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. It's not a secret that Under Secretary [Kristi] Noem and Acting Administrator Richardson, FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens. The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades. Under Secretary Noem's leadership, and the efforts of Acting Administrator Richardson, FEMA is fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season.
"David Richardson." Fema.gov, 8 May 2025, www.fema.gov/about/organization/david-richardson. Accessed 3 June 2025.
Douglas, Leah, et al. "FEMA Staff Baffled after Head Said He Was Unaware of US Hurricane Season, Sources Say." Reuters, 2 June 2025, www.reuters.com/world/us/fema-staff-confused-after-head-said-he-was-unaware-us-hurricane-season-sources-2025-06-02/. Accessed 3 June 2025..
Archived: https://archive.is/HUROk.
Kaplan, Michael, and Nicole Sganga. "FEMA 'Not Ready' for Hurricane Season, Internal Review Says." Cbsnews.com, CBS News, 16 May 2025, www.cbsnews.com/news/fema-not-ready-for-hurricane-season-internal-review-says/. Accessed 3 June 2025.
"NOAA Predicts Above-Normal 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season." Noaa.gov, NOAA, 22 May 2025, www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-predicts-above-normal-2025-atlantic-hurricane-season. Accessed 3 June 2025.
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