Overview

• Roughly 600 National Weather Service workers have departed since Trump took office, pushing staffing below previously typical levels of about 4,300 and, by some accounts, under 4,000.
• Forecasters report double shifts, inter‑office “buddy” coverage, curtailed balloon launches, and the suspension of outreach, with at least two offices no longer operating around the clock and a dozen more on reduced staffing.
• The administration has proposed cutting NOAA’s fiscal 2026 budget by about $1.7 billion, and hundreds of Weather Service vacancies persist during the peak of Atlantic storms and Western wildfires.
• NOAA says the Weather Service remains equipped to meet its mission and cites performance during the Texas floods, while the agency posts jobs and offers transfers with moving expenses to shore up hard‑hit offices.
• Staff say they are monitoring two active storms, including one that could threaten the eastern United States early next week, and warn that a potential government shutdown could force many to work without pay.