Five former directors of the National Weather Service (NWS) have issued a stark warning regarding potential staffing cuts, citing the risk of unnecessary fatalities during severe weather events like tornadoes, wildfires, and hurricanes. In an open letter published on Friday, they emphasized the dire consequences of understaffing, which has already decreased by over 10% due to cuts made during the Trump administration, including buyouts and reductions in probationary staff. Their concerns are amplified by a proposed $1.52 billion budget cut for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the NWS.
The former directors—Louis Uccellini, Jack Hayes, Brig. Gen. D.L. Johnson, Brig. Gen. John J. Kelly Jr., and Col. E.W. (Joe) Friday—stressed that further downsizing could compromise the quality of weather forecasts, jeopardizing public safety and leading to disasters that could have been predicted. They lamented that some forecast offices might even need to reduce operations to part-time services, which would severely limit their effectiveness.
Recent weather incidents have highlighted these staffing concerns. A specific example involved the Valley, Nebraska office, which was unable to conduct a crucial evening weather balloon launch due to reduced staffing. This omission potentially delayed the identification of tornado risks during a storm that resulted in multiple tornadoes. Following this, Rep. Mike Flood expressed his intention to introduce legislation to classify forecasters as public safety workers, seeking to protect them from budgetary cuts.
The NWS acknowledged staffing challenges, stating it is committed to maintaining public safety while adjusting services based on personnel fluctuations. The letter from the former directors serves as a call to action, urging lawmakers to recognize the critical importance of fully staffing the weather service to prevent loss of life during severe weather events.
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