USA: Chief disaster protectors are said not to know any hurricane season

According to insiders, the new head of the US disaster protection authority Fema has caused an incredulous shake of the head among his employees: During a meeting, David Richardson said that he had no idea that there was a hurricane season in the United States.

It was not clear whether he said this literally, as a joke or in a different context, four people of the Reuters news agency said with the incident. The hurricane season in the United States officially started on Sunday. It lasts until November. The National Weather and Oceanographing Agency Noaa presented its forecast last week, according to which up to ten hurricanes have to be versed this year.

Richardson’s statements fall into a time when President Donald Trump started the departure of numerous high-ranking FEMA employees, personnel cuts and resolved hurricane preparations are causing the authority to be difficult to prepare for the storm season. Hurricanes have become increasingly destructive and costly as a result of climate change. Due to the hurricanes, dozens of people in the United States are killed every year. They cause damage of hundreds of million dollars in numerous US states.

Richardson’s remark about his alleged ignorance of the hurricane season spread among the authorities’ employees, triggered confusion and fueled concerns about his lack of familiarity with the processes of the FEMA, as insider said. The Fema and the Ministry of Homeland, which is the superordinate authority of the FEMA, were initially no statements. The Fema had previously stated that it was prepared for the hurricane season.

Richardson has headed the authority since May. He has no experience in civil protection. Before his appointment, the former arilration officer of the Marines in the Ministry of Homeland Security was responsible for combating weapons of mass destruction. His predecessor at Fema, Cameron Hamilton, was released at short notice. He had publicly overturned Trump for different ideas about the future of the authority. According to insiders, however, it was worked on to get rid of him anyway. Hamilton was dissatisfied in the Trump camp because he had too slowly advanced the restructuring of the Fema.

Trump explained that the Fema should be reduced or even abolished because the states could take over many of its functions. This is part of a more comprehensive reduction in the federal administration. Around 2000 full -time employees of the FEMA, a third of the total number, have been released since Trump’s office in January or have voluntarily left the authority.