And it sounds like they are preparing for him to leave according to the AP:

But a source close to Brown, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the FEMA director had been considering leaving after the hurricane season ended in November and that Friday’s action virtually assures his departure.

So why didn’t he just resign at 10 am like, ahem, someone told them to? The want-to-spend-more-time-with-my-family speech obviously wouldn’t work during a catatrophe, but the I-don’t-want-to-be-a-distraction speech would have in the wake of those resume stories, among others.