David Richardson, former acting FEMA administrator, defends the agency’s response to last summer’s deadly Texas floods in his forthcoming book, saying teams were already on the ground and Coast Guard assets were used for search-and-rescue. He faults a Kristi Noem memo requiring her sign-off on contracts above $100,000 for creating dangerous delays and says he overrode DHS headquarters to get aid out. Richardson resigned in December 2025 after his reform plans stalled and argues FEMA should report directly to the president.
Ex-Acting FEMA Chief Defends Texas Flood Response, Blames Noem Memo for Relief Delays
Tia Dufour/DHS - PHOTO: David Richardson attends the initial meeting of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, May 20, 2025.
David Richardson, the former acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, defends FEMA’s response to the deadly flash floods that struck Texas over the July Fourth weekend in a new book and places much of the operational blame on a controversial memo from then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
In "Texas Flood: Power, Money, Politics, History, Bureaucracy and Tragedy," set for release Tuesday, Richardson recounts the agency’s preparations, the on-the-ground response and the internal disputes that followed. He says FEMA had teams already positioned in Texas — including a unit in Denton — and that Coast Guard assets were used for search-and-rescue operations.
Memo, Bureaucracy and Operational Friction
At the center of Richardson’s criticism is a memo from Noem that required her personal sign-off for any contract exceeding $100,000. Richardson argues that the policy introduced a critical delay during a response he estimates could require "the low end of $500 million a day" in contracting to meet urgent needs.
"I eventually had to make a decision where I overrode DHS headquarters and sent the support anyhow," Richardson tells ABC News in the book, describing lifesaving shipments and services deployed to Texas.
Richardson says FEMA’s prior planning and exercises anticipated worst-case scenarios and that operational teams were on the ground quickly. He denies claims that FEMA withheld essential assistance, and emphasizes search-and-rescue efforts were active despite the tragedy that cost many lives.
Internal Tension and Resignation
The book details internal tensions: Richardson writes that some FEMA staff warned the memo would "kill" operations during a disaster, and he recounts believing there were DHS staff monitoring FEMA headquarters. Frustrated that his proposals to restructure FEMA were being funneled instead to the FEMA Review Council, Richardson resigned abruptly in December 2025.
He describes FEMA headquarters as "bloated, overweight and unhealthy" and says he sought to "put FEMA on a diet" by reducing the Washington staff footprint. In the book he argues FEMA should report directly to the White House rather than remain under DHS oversight.
Richardson also shares details from the storm period — including spending a night in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, then returning to Washington the following morning — and says he waited to visit Texas until funds and support were in place: "I wasn't going to Texas and tell them the check is in the mail. I made sure it was cashed before I went there to see the people of Texas."
Responses and Context
Democrats criticized DHS’s response time in Texas, and DHS did not immediately comment on Richardson’s account. Michael Coen, a former FEMA chief of staff under the Obama and Biden administrations, told ABC News that FEMA is a critical organization structured to meet national risks and is continuously improving.
Richardson’s account offers an operational insider’s view of emergency response under pressure, while sparking fresh debate about bureaucracy, leadership and the proper oversight of the nation’s primary disaster agency.
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