Overview

• The administration’s FY2026 budget proposal cuts NOAA funding by about 30%, reducing its budget to $4.5 billion and slashing 12,000 jobs
• Members of Congress and local officials oppose closing labs like Norman’s National Severe Storms Laboratory, citing their role in radar innovation and support of over 900 local jobs
• Former NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad and emergency officials highlighted a vacant warning coordination meteorologist post in Austin/San Antonio as a factor in some residents not receiving flood alerts
• Tom Fahy of the NWS employees’ union said forecasters in San Angelo and San Antonio maintained full staffing and issued catastrophic alerts up to 22 minutes early
• Congressional review and ongoing inquiries aim to assess how staffing gaps and research cuts may affect NOAA’s capacity to deliver life-saving weather forecasts