FEMA Chief Resigns Following Backlash Over Agency’s Handling of Deadly Texas Flooding

The chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has resigned following criticism of the agency's response to deadly flooding in Texas and a White House push to reform the agency.

David Richardson, who had served as acting FEMA administrator for six months, submitted his two-week notice of resignation Monday and will return to the private sector.

Karen Evans, FEMA's chief of staff, will take over the top role starting Dec. 1, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Realtor.com®. The spokesperson did not provide a reason for Richardson's departure.

FEMA coordinates the government's disaster efforts to help people before, during, and after emergencies and is a key resource for homeowners impacted by natural disasters.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has imposed severe budget cuts on FEMA and vowed to reform the agency, which he has criticized as overly bureaucratic and "very slow" in responding to major disasters.

Richardson, a DHS official who had also led the department's office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, took over FEMA's top job in May, after former acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton was fired by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

Hamilton was fired a day after telling Congress that FEMA should not be disbanded, countering Trump's suggestion earlier this year that the agency was no longer fit for purpose.

Richardson's brief tenure at the embattled agency was rocky. This summer, he faced tough questions from congressional Democrats about FEMA's preparation and response to deadly flash flooding in Texas, which killed more than 130, including dozens of young campers at an all-girls summer camp.

Richardson was on vacation when the floods occurred but has said that he immediately coordinated the federal response by phone after learning of the disaster.

In a House Transportation Committee hearing in July, Richardson dodged questions about whether FEMA would continue to exist, following comments by Trump that he would prefer to disband the agency and pay disaster relief directly to states.

“What I can commit to is that the president wants a better emergency management for the American people,” Richardson told the committee.

In one widely reported incident, Richardson remarked during a FEMA all-hands meeting in June that he was unaware that hurricane season had started at the beginning of that month.

At the time, administration officials dismissed that comment as a joke that had been taken out of context.

In a statement on Monday, DHS and FEMA said they "extend their sincere appreciation" to Richardson and "wish him continued success in his return to the private sector."

"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.

"We anticipate the forthcoming release of the FEMA Review Council’s final report, which will inform this administration’s ongoing efforts to fundamentally restructure FEMA, transforming it from its current form into a streamlined, mission-focused disaster-response force," the statement added.