{"id":2465739,"date":"2025-07-23T14:17:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T18:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fema-leader-david-richardson-adamant-agency-handled-texas-floods-well\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T14:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T18:18:29","slug":"fema-leader-david-richardson-adamant-agency-handled-texas-floods-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fema-leader-david-richardson-adamant-agency-handled-texas-floods-well\/","title":{"rendered":"FEMA leader David Richardson adamant agency handled Texas floods well"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffema-leader-david-richardson-adamant-agency-handled-texas-floods-well%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2465739&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The acting head of FEMA, David Richardson, strongly defended the agency&#8217;s response to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-carolina-to-pull-final-200-million-from-leftist-blackrock-by-end-of-year\/\" title=\"South Carolina To Pull Final 0 Million From \u2018Leftist\u2019 BlackRock By End Of Year\">recent historic floods<\/a> in Texas, despite criticism from lawmakers. During a congressional hearing, FEMA was accused of slow response and poor coordination following floods in Kerr county that resulted in 135 deaths. Richardson rejected claims of wrongdoing, stating that the response was effective and praised by President Biden, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.Lawmakers criticized Richardson for delays in visiting the affected areas and for low call response rates to FEMA&#8217;s emergency line.Richardson explained he was on vacation during the initial days and defended the agency&#8217;s overall performance as a model for disaster management. he also noted that FEMA is undergoing a reorganization to better align with the White House&#8217;s vision for the agency&#8217;s future.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">FEMA chief &lsquo;can&rsquo;t see anything that we did wrong&rsquo; in Texas flood response<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2170282\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The Federal Emergency Management Agency&rsquo;s acting leader has adamantly defended the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-judge-grants-gop-lawmaker-standing-to-sue-biden-administration-over-unrwa-funding-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"... judge grants GOP lawmaker standing to sue Biden administration over UNRWA funding - Washington Examiner\">federal government&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s response to historic flooding in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Texas<\/a> earlier this month, saying lawmakers&rsquo; attacks on the agency&rsquo;s actions were unwarranted.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fema\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">FEMA<\/a> Senior Official Performing the Duties of Administrator David Richardson pushed back on complaints from members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as they listed out examples of ways they viewed FEMA had failed in the aftermath of the Kerr County floods that claimed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3476116\/washington-waits-texas-reacts-deadly-floods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">135 lives<\/a>, namely, slow response and coordination with state and local authorities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3479393\/trump-energy-department-cancels-loan-grain-belt-express-renewable-energy\/\">Trump Energy Department cancels loan for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >major transmission project&#038;nbsp<\/a>;opposed by Hawley<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3477759\/katie-hobbs-grand-canyon-fire-doug-burgum\/\">Katie Hobbs to travel to DC after calling for investigation into Grand Canyon fire containment&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3476052\/epa-slashes-research-office-lays-off-staffers\/\">EPA slashes research office, lays off staffers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Is there anything you think FEMA did wrong in its response to the Texas floods that we rectify and do differently next time?&rdquo; Rep. Shomari C. Figures (D-AL) asked Richardson.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t see anything that we did wrong, and I think the president and [Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem] acknowledge that and so does [Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX)], by saying how well we did,&rdquo; Richardson said. &ldquo;We would like to take the strengths that we did in Texas, and we&rsquo;re going to share them with other states. We&rsquo;ll work on them in tabletop exercise to make sure that they do it as well.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Figures pushed back and asked if Richardson, who has been on the job since May, maintained that FEMA&rsquo;s response to the flood was &ldquo;perfect.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Look, nothing is perfect. However, I will say that it was a model, particularly at FEMA, the region, the state level,&rdquo; Richardson said. &ldquo;That continuity was a model how disasters should be handled, and that&rsquo;s thanks to the president&rsquo;s guidance, the secretary&rsquo;s guidance, Gov. Abbott, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/metro-detroit-area-flooded-after-intense-storms-drop-heavy-rain\/\" title=\"Metro Detroit area flooded after intense storms drop heavy rain\">state emergency operations center<\/a> in Texas, the emergency manager, as well as the [FEMA] Region 6 manager.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Figures told Richardson that he would be smart in the future to be on-site when the disaster occurs, rather than waiting more than a week to show up in person.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) chided Richardson for not expeditiously traveling to the flood site when it occurred early in the morning on July 4.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For the first 48 hours, the most critical window for search and rescue, he never visited the National Response Coordination Center. For more than a week, he stayed away from Texas, and for 10 days, he made no statement,&rdquo; Stanton said.<\/p>\n<p>Richardson defended his response, saying he had been on vacation with his two children on July 4 and 5 and spent that weekend driving back to Washington.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepGregStanton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RepGregStanton<\/a> on acting FEMA admin.during TX floods: &#8220;For the first 48 hours, the most critical window for search and rescue, he never visited the National Response Coordination Center. For more than a week, he stayed away from Texas and for 10 days, he made no statement.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bVTYn3f8G4\">pic.twitter.com\/bVTYn3f8G4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cspan\/status\/1948026671107310040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) pointed out that 15.9% of calls to FEMA&rsquo;s emergency line related to the flood were answered.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would have to agree with Secretary Noem. That&rsquo;s fake news. The majority of the calls were answered,&rdquo; Richardson said.<\/p>\n<p>Richardson said the agency was in the midst of a makeover and its future would only be determined later this year when a FEMA review board decides how to reform the organization to adhere to the White House&rsquo;s vision.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3478436\/florida-paying-illegal-immigrants-self-deport-commercial-flights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">FLORIDA PAYING FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO SELF-DEPORT ON COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Former FEMA leader&nbsp;Cameron Hamilton was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3406788\/fema-leader-cameron-hamilton-fired-undercutting-trump-karoline-leavitt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">abruptly terminated<\/a>&nbsp;in early May for undercutting President Donald Trump&nbsp;while testifying before Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Hamilton was tapped days into the Trump administration to oversee FEMA, then fired a day after he told&nbsp;House lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee for Homeland Security that he did not believe the agency should be abolished. The remark marked a break from Trump, who has called for the agency&rsquo;s dismantling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2170282\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2170282\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FEMA chief denies any fault in Texas flood response efforts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2655,"featured_media":2465742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kerr-county-texas-floods-fema.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[59737,42159,42345,18818,58515],"class_list":["post-2465739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-david-richardson","tag-disaster-response","tag-emergency-management","tag-fema","tag-texas-floods"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kerr-county-texas-floods-fema.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2465739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2655"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2465739"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2465739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2465744,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2465739\/revisions\/2465744"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2465742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2465739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2465739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2465739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}