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National Weather Service Struggles to Fill Critical Roles Before Hurricane Season

Over 560 positions remain vacant after staffing cuts, with 155 roles being temporarily filled through NOAA reassignments as June's hurricane season approaches.

This photo taken on May 23, 2014, shows the entrance the National Weather Service monitoring station in Brownsville, Texas, with their Doppler radar tower nearby. (AP Photo/Valley Morning Star, David Pike)
Demonstrators attend rally outside National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration headquarters to oppose the recent worker firings, in Sliver Spring, Maryland, on Monday, March 3, 2025.
National Hurricane Center director Ken Graham prepares for the next televised update on the status of Hurricane Michael, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, at the Hurricane Center in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Overview

  • The National Weather Service (NWS) is reassigning 155 NOAA employees to fill critical forecasting, technical, and scientific roles under a federal hiring freeze.
  • More than 560 staff departures, driven by Trump administration policies, have left the NWS severely understaffed, with some offices reducing operations or lacking management entirely.
  • Key vacancies include 76 meteorologists, 22 physical scientists, 16 electronics technicians, and 16 hydrologists spread across offices nationwide, including storm-prone areas like Houston and Miami.
  • Efforts to exempt the NWS from the hiring freeze by reclassifying it as a public safety agency have been unsuccessful, forcing reliance on internal transfers.
  • Lawmakers and former NWS directors warn that the staffing crisis risks undermining disaster response and could lead to preventable loss of life during the upcoming hurricane season.