Sweeping NOAA Job Cuts Raise Alarms Over Public Safety and Weather Forecasting

The Trump administration's reductions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration threaten critical services as extreme weather intensifies.

NOAA is undergoing a 20% workforce reduction, with over 2,000 employees already terminated or bought out since January 2025, and an additional 1,029 layoffs planned.
Cuts are impacting vital weather services, including hurricane forecasting, tornado warnings, and climate monitoring, raising concerns about public safety during severe weather events.
The suspension of weather balloon launches at key sites, such as Maine and New York, is reducing critical atmospheric data used for accurate weather predictions.
Experts warn that privatization efforts and staffing shortages could lead to diminished forecasting accuracy, delayed warnings, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters.
International reliance on NOAA data, including by Canadian meteorologists, highlights the global ramifications of these reductions on severe weather preparedness.

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