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8h ago

NOAA Reassigns Staff to Address Critical Weather Service Vacancies Ahead of Hurricane Season

The National Weather Service launches an internal reassignment initiative to fill 155 key positions, including 76 meteorologists, as staffing shortages threaten disaster response capabilities.

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.
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Overview

  • NOAA has issued a Reassignment Opportunity Notice to relocate 155 employees to critically understaffed National Weather Service offices nationwide.
  • The vacancies include 76 meteorologist positions, with disaster-prone areas like Houston and Miami among the priority locations for staffing.
  • This internal reassignment effort follows over 560 NWS departures tied to Trump administration policies, including incentives for early retirements and a federal hiring freeze.
  • NWS leadership's attempt to secure a public safety exemption from the hiring freeze has failed, forcing reliance on stopgap measures to address staffing shortages.
  • Critics, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren, warn that reallocating personnel from other NOAA units could undermine the agency's broader mission and disaster readiness.