At a Glance

FEMA Administrator Brock Long said Wednesday that he will resign from the position.Long's deputy, Peter Gaynor, will be named the acting administrator in his absence.Long has served as the head of FEMA since June 2017.

FEMA Administrator Brock Long announced Wednesday that he will step down from the role he has held since June 2017.

Long, who served as the head of the agency through 220 disaster declarations, did not say when his final day will be, but once he officially leaves the position, Peter Gaynor , the release also said. Gaynor served as Long's deputy, and the replacement will only be temporary, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said.

"It has been a great honor to serve our country as FEMA Administrator for the past two years," said Long in the release.

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During his tenure, Long oversaw FEMA operations during two very active hurricane seasons, during which hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, Florence and Michael each caused billions of dollars in damage in the United States. Wildfires took their toll on the West during that time, including the November 2018 Camp Fire, which was both the deadliest and most devastating in California history. Catastrophic flooding also occurred in many regions of the country during his two years at the helm.

But Long's time as the head of FEMA was also controversial. A Department of Homeland Security investigation found he improperly used thousands of dollars of taxpayer money for things like , the Washington Post reported. Long nearly resigned the week after Hurricane Florence struck the Carolinas last September, but Nielsen , according to a separate Post report.

Nielsen said Long spent to use government vehicles for those non-official trips, CNN.com reported.

"We both understand what needs to be done," Long told the Post in September about his working relationship with Nielsen, "and we will continue to work together."

Long's permanent replacement will have to be nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate.