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.

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.

FEMA’s new leader has admitted that the all-important disaster relief agency has not completed its plan for hurricane season, which begins in just two weeks. The stunning admission was made by David Richardson,