After the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warned staffers not to get in his way, the federal agency cut training for emergency managers, according to reports. Both moves come less than a month before the start of hurricane season.

In video viewed by The Wall Street Journal, newly appointed Director David Richardson says “clarifying the intent of the president”— who has called for terminating the agency—has been a challenge in preparing a strategy.

Hurricane preparations at FEMA have slowed to a crawl. With hurricane season weeks away, a new assessment raises a number of red flags about how the agency would respond to a major disaster.