Overview

• On June 24, the U.S. Department of Defense announced it would stop ingesting, processing and transmitting data essential to most hurricane forecasts
• A NOAA service change notice on June 25 warned that real-time Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder data from three jointly run satellites will end by June 30
• About half of all forecasters rely on SSMIS microwave scans to track storm structure, and its loss will degrade forecasting accuracy
• Meteorologists warn the data cutoff increases the risk of “sunrise surprises,” where systems intensify overnight without detection
• Gulf Coast and Southeast Coast communities face heightened public safety risks as forecasters prepare for an active 2025 hurricane season with reduced satellite coverage