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NWS Forecasters Issued Last-Minute Catastrophic Flood Warnings Despite Management Vacancies

President Trump praised forecasters for accurate alerts minutes before record floods in Texas despite three vacant management roles.

Flood waters left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas.

Overview

  • On July 6 NWS forecasters in San Angelo and San Antonio identified the need for a catastrophic alert at 3:38 p.m. and triggered flood emergency warnings 20 minutes before record flash flooding.
  • President Donald Trump and NWS union leader Tom Fahy both affirmed that San Angelo and San Antonio teams operated with a full complement of meteorologists and provided accurate flood forecasts.
  • Alerts were transmitted through the NWS’s shared warning infrastructure with FEMA and broadcast to state emergency channels, although some recipients reported last-mile delivery failures.
  • Since January the Department of Government Efficiency’s budget cuts and a federal hiring freeze have eliminated over 560 NOAA and NWS positions nationwide, increasing vacancy rates in key forecast offices.
  • Emergency hiring authority granted in June and internal staff reassignments have eased meteorologist shortfalls, but debate continues over whether vacant warning coordination roles hindered final alert dissemination.