Jokes, Warnings, and Wreckage: The Wrong Man at the Helm as America Braces for Disaster
As the weather grows increasingly unpredictable and dangerous, the head of FEMA has... jokes?
“Wait, the U.S. has a hurricane season?”
That’s the “joke” FEMA Acting Administrator David Richardson cracked during a June 2 staff briefing just one day after the official start of hurricane season. The Department of Homeland Security insists he was being funny. But with record-shattering storms battering the U.S., and FEMA already stretched thin, it didn’t feel like a punchline. It felt like a warning.
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The Man with No Plan
David Richardson has no background in disaster response. A former Marine artillery officer, he was appointed by the Trump administration after the firing of Cameron Hamilton, FEMA’s previous chief, who dared to publicly defend the agency’s relevance and push back on plans to diminish its role.
In his first all-hands FEMA meeting, Richardson warned employees:
“Don’t get in my way... I will run right over you. I will achieve the president’s intent.”
He followed that up with:
“I, and I alone in FEMA, speak for FEMA. I don’t stop at yield signs.”
He’s also boasted that he’s never read a book on leadership. And now, he’s joking about not knowing when hurricane season starts.
If you think that’s disqualifying behavior for someone tasked with coordinating America’s disaster response, you’re not alone.
Meanwhile, in the Real World…
While Richardson is busy issuing threats and punchlines, the climate is making it clear that disaster response is not optional.
Tornadoes Ravage the Midwest and South
In May alone, the U.S. endured two major tornado outbreaks:
May 15–16: 56 tornadoes ripped through the Midwest and Southeast, killing 27 people and injuring dozens more. An EF4 tornado in Marion, Illinois, packed winds up to 190 mph.
May 18–21: Multiple EF3 tornadoes struck Kansas and surrounding states, leveling homes, tearing through communities, and taxing local emergency resources.
Severe thunderstorm clusters dumped inches of rain in a matter of hours, overwhelming flood systems. Grapefruit-sized hail damaged homes and cars from Texas to Arkansas. In Austin, emergency crews conducted water rescues after unseasonal torrential rain paired with massive hail.
Flooding from Appalachia to California
Floodwaters surged through eastern Kentucky last week, submerging entire towns. The region, economically fragile and historically underdeveloped, is now facing catastrophic loss and minimal federal support.
On the other side of the country, Southern California faced rare May flooding, with mudslides threatening already-vulnerable hillsides scorched by previous wildfires. Major roads were closed, and neighborhoods were evacuated under flash flood alerts.
In Northeast Pennsylvania, a frost advisory was issued on June 1, followed by temperatures over 80°F just one day later. That kind of weather whiplash isn't usual. It’s climate chaos.
The Atlantic Is Heating Up
A powerful marine heatwave off the Florida and Bahamas coasts is driving up humidity, fueling storms, and setting the stage for a volatile summer. Sea surface temperatures are abnormally high, supercharging nighttime heat and rainfall intensity across the South and East Coast.
A Hurricane Season to Fear
As if that weren't enough, NOAA has issued an ominous outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season:
13–19 named storms (average is 14)
6–10 hurricanes (average is 7)
3–5 major hurricanes (average is 3)
Warmer-than-usual ocean waters, ENSO-neutral conditions, and a destabilized atmosphere are setting the stage for a potentially catastrophic summer and fall.
This is not the moment to have an untested political appointee at FEMA’s helm. Nor is it the time for under-resourced meteorologists to try to predict and warn against billion-dollar storms. Yet, that’s exactly where we are.
And the guy leading FEMA thinks this is the time to joke about not knowing there is a hurricane season.
FEMA and NOAA: Cut to the Bone
This moment would be daunting even with fully funded, expertly led agencies. But we don’t have that.
Earlier this year, we reported on how the Trump administration slashed budgets for both FEMA and NOAA, reassigning leadership, removing career experts, and shifting disaster responsibility back to under-resourced states.
A political loyalist now runs FEMA with no relevant experience.
NOAA is struggling to retain staff and maintain its aging forecasting infrastructure.
Forecast offices are underfunded and overwhelmed during a year that’s already been filled with deadly storms.
We’re not just facing bigger disasters. We’re choosing to be less prepared.
Where We Go From Here
The disasters are real. The climate is changing. The storms are here right now.
What’s also clear is this: our institutions are being reprogrammed not to respond, but to retreat. The current strategy isn’t leadership. It’s abdication. It’s ideology over impact. Politics over preparedness.
FEMA and NOAA are national insurance policies. They’re our collective safety net when disaster strikes. Weakening them is more than irresponsible. It’s immoral.
David Richardson’s leadership is emblematic of a government that treats crisis response as a side hustle and climate change as a political inconvenience. It’s not just a joke. It’s a threat.
If you found this piece helpful, share it with your community. Let’s keep the pressure on our leaders to prioritize people over politics.
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Bibliography:
CBS News. “New FEMA Head Warns Staff ‘Don't Get in My Way’ in First Meeting.” CBS News, May 29, 2025.
Chron. “Hail and Heavy Rainfall Cause Power Outages and Rescues across Austin.” Chron, May 28, 2025.
Fox 13 Now. “FEMA Head David Richardson Was ‘Joking’ About Being Unaware of Hurricane Season, Officials Say.” Fox 13 Now, June 2, 2025.
The Guardian. “Appalachia Floods Threaten Region’s Future as Climate Chaos Deepens.” The Guardian, May 29, 2025.
NPR. “Southern California Hit by Rare May Flooding and Mudslide Threats.” NPR, May 25, 2025.
The New York Post. “Grapefruit-Sized Hail, Thunderstorms Put a Damper on Texas Memorial Day.” New York Post, May 26, 2025.
NOAA. “NOAA Predicts Above-Normal 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, May 23, 2025.
Reuters. “FEMA Staff Confused After Head Said He Was Unaware US Hurricane Season – Sources.” Reuters, June 2, 2025.
The Washington Post. “Ocean Heatwave Is Supercharging US Storms and Humidity.” The Washington Post, May 29, 2025.
Wikipedia. “Tornado Outbreak of May 15–16, 2025.” Wikipedia. Last modified May 31, 2025.
Wikipedia. “Tornado Outbreak of May 18–21, 2025.” Wikipedia. Last modified May 30, 2025.
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With no experience in management or emergencies, David Richardson replaces a guy at FEMA who had to go, you know. He testified to Congress that he didn’t think the agency should be eliminated.
“Don’t get in my way... I will run right over you. I will achieve the president’s intent.”
“I, and I alone in FEMA, speak for FEMA. I don’t stop at yield signs.”
What is that? I feel sorry for American people. They deserve better.