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yesterday

NOAA Delays DMSP Hurricane Data Cutoff to July 31 After NASA Appeal

The one-month reprieve reflects NASA’s cybersecurity concerns, leaving hurricane forecasts at risk until October.

FILE - A water rescue boat moves in floodwaters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
© National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, NOAA
FILE - Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
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Overview

  • DoD’s Navy-led CNMOC plans to end SSMIS data processing on July 31 to mitigate a flagged cybersecurity risk.
  • SSMIS instruments aboard three DMSP satellites provide microwave observations essential for three-dimensional hurricane analysis and rapid intensification detection.
  • NOAA and NASA, through Dr. Karen M. St. Germain’s request, secured the one-month extension but have no plan to restore data before an October replacement satellite becomes operational.
  • Forecasters warn that missing SSMIS data during the peak of hurricane season will undercut forecast accuracy and heighten threats to coastal communities.
  • The service change comes after significant NOAA and National Weather Service staffing and funding cuts under the Department of Government Efficiency that have curtailed other observation programs.