Highlights

• FEMA Acting Administrator David Richardson told staff he wasn't aware the U.S. has a hurricane season
• The comment came a day after hurricane season began, with Louisiana facing a 46 percent hurricane probability
• One-third of FEMA staff has left agency since January amid leadership turnover and restructuring
• Richardson has no disaster response experience and scrapped a promised new hurricane response plan
• Louisiana heavily relies on FEMA during major hurricanes like Katrina, Laura, and Ida

FEMA Leadership Crisis Raises Concerns as Louisiana Faces Active Hurricane Season

Acting administrator's apparent unfamiliarity with hurricane season timing sparks staff confusion at agency critical to Louisiana disaster response

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Louisiana residents entering what forecasters predict will be an above-average hurricane season now face new uncertainties about federal disaster response after the acting head of FEMA told agency staff he wasn't aware the United States has a hurricane season.

The comment alone would be concerning enough. But the timing makes it worse. According to multiple news reports, Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson made the remark during a Monday staff briefing, just one day after the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially began. Staff members who attended the meeting couldn't tell whether Richardson was joking or genuinely didn't know about the annual hurricane cycle that runs from June through November.

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For Louisiana families who've lived through Katrina, Laura, and Ida, this confusion at FEMA comes at exactly the wrong time. The state faces a 46 percent probability of hurricane impact this season and depends heavily on FEMA coordination when major storms hit.

Why FEMA Matters So Much to Louisiana

Understanding FEMA's importance requires remembering what happens when a major hurricane strikes Louisiana. The agency doesn't just write checks after the storm passes—it becomes the nerve center coordinating everything from pre-storm supply staging to post-storm rebuilding efforts.

During Hurricane Katrina, FEMA coordinated the largest disaster response in U.S. history, eventually providing more than $15 billion in assistance to Louisiana residents. When Hurricane Laura tore through southwest Louisiana in 2020, FEMA deployed thousands of personnel and distributed millions of meals and millions of liters of water to communities without power or clean water for weeks.

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Following Hurricane Ida in 2021, the agency coordinated power restoration efforts across southeast Louisiana and provided temporary housing for thousands of families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged. FEMA manages the logistics that make the difference between effective disaster response and chaos.

These operations require experienced personnel who understand Louisiana's unique challenges. Coordinating disaster response here means understanding everything from the state's complex levee systems to the logistics of evacuating hundreds of thousands of people through limited highway corridors.

The Troubling Picture at FEMA

According to Reuters reporting, Richardson's hurricane season comment left agency staff "baffled" and raised fresh questions about his understanding of FEMA's mission. When you dig into Richardson's background and the agency's current condition, the concerns multiply.

Richardson comes from a military background as a former Marine Corps artillery officer, but he has zero disaster response experience. Before taking over FEMA in early May, he worked as assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security's office for countering weapons of mass destruction—a position he's still holding while trying to lead FEMA.

During that same Monday briefing where he made the hurricane season comment, Richardson told staff there would be no changes to FEMA's disaster response plans. This contradicted his earlier promise to deliver a comprehensive new disaster strategy by May 23. His explanation? He didn't want to conflict with a Trump-created FEMA Review Council.

So the agency enters hurricane season with the same old plans, led by someone with no disaster experience who apparently didn't know hurricane season was starting.

Massive Staff Exodus Creates Additional Concerns

Richardson's leadership questions become more alarming when considering what's happened to FEMA's workforce. Approximately 2,000 full-time FEMA employees—one-third of the agency's total staff—have either been fired or quit since the Trump administration took office in January.

Those aren't just numbers. They represent experienced disaster professionals who know how to coordinate complex emergency responses, people who've managed hurricane operations in Louisiana and understand what works and what doesn't when communities face life-threatening storms.

Current and former employees report serious morale problems as the agency faces potential elimination or dramatic downsizing. The administration's stated goal involves shifting disaster responsibilities to state governments, which sounds reasonable until you consider the scale of resources required during major hurricanes.

FEMA did get approval in May to keep more than 2,600 short-term disaster response workers whose contracts were set to expire. These temporary employees make up about 40% of FEMA's workforce and serve as frontline responders when disasters strike. But temporary workers, however dedicated, can't replace the institutional knowledge and experience that's walking out the door.

Louisiana's Elevated Hurricane Risk This Season

FEMA's internal problems would be concerning in any year, but 2025 presents particular challenges for Louisiana. Forecasters predict 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes—all above historical averages.

The probability mapping shows Louisiana's vulnerability clearly. Coastal parishes like Terrebonne and Plaquemines face a 51 percent likelihood of hurricane impact—essentially a coin flip. Even inland areas around Lafayette and Baton Rouge show a 34-35 percent probability of experiencing hurricane effects.

Louisiana's geography makes federal coordination essential during major storms. The state's intricate coastline, extensive oil and gas infrastructure, and major population centers create complexities that require sophisticated planning and coordination. That's exactly the kind of expertise that FEMA has provided in the past—and exactly what seems to be in question now.

What Louisiana Families Should Do Now

While FEMA's problems create legitimate concerns, Louisiana residents need to focus on preparation steps they can control rather than worrying about federal agency dysfunction they can't fix.

State and local emergency management agencies continue operating with experienced personnel who've managed Louisiana hurricanes for years. Parish emergency managers know their evacuation zones, shelter capabilities, and coordination procedures regardless of what's happening at FEMA headquarters.

Louisiana families should review emergency plans, check insurance coverage, and stock emergency supplies capable of sustaining households for at least seven days. Flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period, so families without coverage need to act immediately if they want protection this hurricane season.

The Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness continues coordinating state preparations and maintains communication with federal agencies despite FEMA's leadership upheaval. State officials understand Louisiana's hurricane risks better than anyone and aren't waiting for federal direction to prepare.

The Bottom Line for Louisiana

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30, with peak danger typically arriving between mid-August and mid-October. Louisiana faces its highest risk during this period when Gulf water temperatures peak and atmospheric patterns align to support storm development.

Whether FEMA gets its act together before peak hurricane season remains an open question. The agency's effectiveness during any major Louisiana storm will largely depend on the experience and commitment of remaining career employees and temporary disaster workers—the people who actually do the work, regardless of leadership confusion.

Louisiana emergency management officials emphasize that state and local preparations continue no matter what happens at the federal level. But anyone who's lived through a major hurricane in Louisiana knows that state and local resources get overwhelmed quickly when storms bring widespread destruction.

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The reality is straightforward: Louisiana families need to prepare thoroughly for hurricane season while hoping federal disaster response proves adequate when tested. The state's hurricane history shows that good preparation saves lives regardless of whether government agencies perform effectively during the crisis.

That's the lesson from every major storm Louisiana has faced—prepare for the worst and hope for competent help when you need it most.

Hurricanes aren't the only major weather events that worry Louisiana. Here are some of the most fearsome.