Massive NOAA Staff Cuts Raise Concerns Over Severe Weather Forecasting
The Trump administration's cost-cutting measures threaten the National Weather Service's ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings during extreme weather events.
- Over 1,000 NOAA employees, including 280 from the National Weather Service, were terminated in the first wave of layoffs, with additional cuts anticipated.
- The reductions, part of a federal cost-saving initiative led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), could leave NOAA's workforce 20% smaller than before.
- Experts warn that the cuts will compromise the accuracy of extreme weather forecasts, jeopardizing public safety during events like tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires.
- Staff shortages have already disrupted critical operations, including the suspension of weather balloon launches in some regions and reduced capacity for hurricane data collection.
- Meteorologists and scientists emphasize that these layoffs undermine NOAA's ability to address the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters linked to climate change.
USA TODAY 
The Globe and Mail 
Global News 
The Philadelphia Inquirer 
Portland Press Herald 
The Independent 
Boston Globe 
CBS News 
The Hill 