Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s vow to “eliminate” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is raising the alarm from experts on disaster assistance, who say it could leave vulnerable communities at risk.

Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said in a cabinet meeting Monday she was “going to eliminate” FEMA, the government’s disaster relief agency. Noem, 53, did not provide any other specifics about her shock announcement—just that she would seek to kill the agency tasked with responding to natural disasters and emergencies.

The Homeland Security secretary added to the confusion about the agency’s future with a seemingly offhand remark.