‘Nobody could get a hold of him’: Trump’s FEMA disaster chief went missing as 138 people were killed in Texas floods

FEMA’s acting administrator, David Richardson, was reportedly unreachable during the deadly Texas floods in July, hindering the agency’s ability to deploy critical search-and-rescue teams quickly. Multiple current and former officials were unable to get in touch with Richardson for hours after the disaster unfolded. The federal agency had already been facing a lot of criticism for its sluggish response to the event, where at least 138 people were tragically killed.

The lack of communication was a huge problem, especially since a new policy had recently been put in place by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The policy requires her to personally approve any expenditure over $100,000 before funds can be released. This meant that Richardson needed to get requests for assistance to Noem quickly, but according to a senior official, “nobody could get a hold of him for hours and hours.”

This holdup meant that FEMA’s urban search-and-rescue teams, which have specialized training for swift water rescue and equipment to search for bodies, were delayed for nearly four days. In a disaster where every minute counts, this is a serious issue.

Trump’s FEMA boss was unreachable during floods

In fact, Richardson’s limited accessibility during the Texas floods is part of a larger pattern that has concerned officials since he took over as acting director in May. He’s often described as being inaccessible, especially during evenings and weekends. This is a big departure from how previous administrators have operated. For decades, the role has prioritized expertise and responsiveness, with past administrators often carrying multiple devices and being in constant communication with staff. Richardson, on the other hand, rarely uses government communication and top-secret phones.

He’s even been known to put his phone in a box when he gets home and rarely answers it after hours. This lack of urgency and constant availability is a serious problem, and it’s compounded by Secretary Noem’s new policies. Noem has been very clear about her goal to “get rid of FEMA the way it exists today,” and many officials feel that her changes have crippled an agency that once had the authority to spend money and corral resources faster than almost any other.

A former acting deputy FEMA administrator, MaryAnn Tierney, said it perfectly, “Disaster survivors don’t care who’s in charge; they care that someone is.” She went on to say that when leadership is absent or unqualified, the whole system stalls. This is exactly what happened in Texas. Officials trying to coordinate a response had their “hands completely tied” for about 24 hours, waiting for a sign-off that never came.

Eventually, a FEMA official with knowledge of the situation said they had to tell Richardson about the gravity of the delays, and he then carried the search-and-rescue requests by hand to Noem’s office. It wasn’t until Monday evening, more than 72 hours after the floods began, that Noem finally approved the spending. The federal search-and-rescue teams didn’t even touch down in Texas until Tuesday.

Richardson’s response to the whole thing has been pretty shocking. During a July congressional hearing, he told lawmakers he was in constant contact with officials from his truck while on vacation with his sons. When asked if he had gotten on the first plane back to D.C., he simply responded, “I was in my truck with my two boys and myself. I remained in my truck the whole time.” It’s also worth noting that internal DHS records show Richardson was in the D.C. region that weekend.