Embattled FEMA Director Deanne Criswell, who oversaw Hurricane Helene and the Los Angeles fires, has already been ousted and replaced, much to the joy of an untold number of Americans.
Criswell announced her departure from the agency in a tweet published on Inauguration Day morning.
“It has been an honor serving as @FEMA Administrator for nearly four years,” she wrote. “The FEMA family takes immense pride in our mission of helping people before, during and after disasters. I know the agency will continue to serve the nation as we support this peaceful transition of power.”
The tweet prompted an outpouring of insults and attacks from aggrieved Americans upset over her mishandling of numerous crises:
You destroyed the lives of so many victims. East Palestine, Maui, and Western NC in particular.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Good riddance.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 20, 2025
You should be ashamed of yourself and the way FEMA handled Helene and other disasters. While you SHOULD be ashamed, I suspect you’re too busy patting yourself on the back.
— Tammy Teague (@desertRatexpat) January 20, 2025
It’s offensive that you act as if FEMA didn’t completely and totally fail countless Americans. Kicking families out into the snow in below freezing temps in WNC the day AFTER the X post promising it was all fixed will NEVER be forgotten
— TexasLady (@TexasLa31144048) January 20, 2025
FEMA is a disaster and always has been. You all are the most useless bunch of people in DC. You have so much blood on your hands. Ever since the disaster after Katrina you have proven your complete incompetence and inability to do anything good or useful.
— GenXJoJo (@Elevate_JRiden) January 20, 2025
You’re a disgrace & the death & destruction caused by your agency will not be forgotten. If it is found that the orders to skip ppl based on their political affiliation came from you, YOU NEED TO BE AT MINIMUM CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE!
— DaRay❤️ (@DaRay38) January 20, 2025
Criswell personally started first coming under heavy fire in November after a report emerged that a FEMA supervisor operating in Florida had ordered her underlings to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
Later that month, Criswell spent hours testifying before the House about the stunning order.
“I do not believe that this employee’s actions are indicative of any widespread cultural problems at FEMA,” she said. “FEMA however has taken appropriate action to ensure this matter is fully investigated and I am committed to ensuring that nothing like this ever happens again.”
FEMA itself has been under fire for months now over its disastrous handling of Hurricane Helene. As previously reported, numerous Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina have had to wait ages to receive any FEMA assistance.
#BREAKING: Rep. Tim Moore went SCORCHED EARTH on FEMA’s complete incompetence in #WNC, saying he WILL hold them accountable.
“If FEMA cared HALF AS MUCH about the people of Western North Carolina as they do about illegal immigrants… we’d be in good shape right now!”
YES!!!! pic.twitter.com/rvXMhzr9uA
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) January 16, 2025
Just last week, dozens of affected families in Western North Carolina were reportedly kicked out of their hotels despite FEMA having promised them that they could stay through at least Jan. 25th.
“My office has been helping dozens of Helene victims today who have been told their hotel vouchers expired despite not having a safe and livable home to go back to,” Sen. Thom Tillis revealed in a tweet.
“Their homes have mold and broken windows…it’s 20 degrees tonight. Hotels are trying to help them, and a number of nonprofits are stepping up to pay for victims to stay in their hotels so FEMA has another day to get its act together,” he continued.
Sen. Ted Budd filed a similar report on Twitter/X:
My office is hearing from dozens in WNC who have been kicked out of their hotels tonight, despite FEMA’s announcement yesterday that they were extending Transitional Sheltering Assistance through January 25.
This is unacceptable. This needs to be fixed TONIGHT.
— Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) January 14, 2025
And then early last month, FEMA was forced to apologize for failing to deliver dozens of trailers to Western North Carolina residents who lost their homes to Hurricane Helene.
According to Charlotte station WBTV, during Thanksgiving week FEMA vowed to deliver 103 trailer homes by the end of the week. Yet as of Dec. 4th, only 46 homes had been delivered.
“[M]ore than 500 families have been approved for a FEMA travel trailer or manufactured home in the wake of Helene,” the station noted. “The agency’s slow deployment of the homes means hundreds of families are weathering the snow and freezing temperatures currently hitting the North Carolina mountains.”
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