David Richardson, acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, resigned Monday after about six months leading the agency, two administration officials confirmed to NBC News.
Richardson’s brief stint as FEMA director came during a turbulent chapter for the agency. President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed significant cuts to its budget, and Trump has publicly called for the agency to be eliminated once this year’s hurricane season ends.
During Richardson’s time as FEMA chief, he was heavily criticized for his slow response to the catastrophic floods that devastated Texas’ Hill Country in July. Richardson could not be reached for 24 hours after flooding killed more than 130 people in the state on July 4, including 27 girls and counselors at Camp Mystic, a summer camp for Christian youth.
It was later revealed that Richardson, who had no emergency management experience before becoming acting FEMA chief, had been on vacation over the holiday weekend.
The White House referred all requests for comment on Richardson’s departure to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA.
Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer, was selected to lead FEMA temporarily in May. He replaced the previous interim administrator, Cameron Hamilton, who was ousted and replaced after just a few months.
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