At numerous National Weather Service offices across the United States, staffing levels have been alarmingly low even prior to the onset of President Donald Trump's administration. Recent announcements about mass terminations have compounded these issues, leading both current and former employees to express concerns that this exodus of both new hires and seasoned veterans will drastically impair the agency's ability to monitor and predict weather hazards.
The recent firings affected a range of critical positions, including meteorologists, hydrologists, and technicians essential for generating daily weather forecasts in cities like Boston and Boise, Idaho. The terminations extended to scientists who are responsible for developing, improving, and maintaining the weather models that are vital to forecasting around the globe. Additionally, staff members tasked with issuing warnings about tsunamis, tornadoes, and hurricanes also faced job losses.
Compounding these terminations was an earlier buyout program initiated by Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service (Department of Government Efficiency), which resulted in a reduction of approximately 170 positions within the Weather Service as of last Friday. The combined effects of Thursday’s firings, which exceeded 100 within the Weather Service and more than 600 across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have led to a contraction of over 6 percent in the government’s climate and weather workforce in just two days.
The National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union representing around 4,000 workers, has raised alarms that these staffing changes could render some offices incapable of providing continuous tracking of weather hazards. JoAnn Becker, the union's president, noted, “We are currently assessing the impacts on each of the 122 forecast offices and 13 river forecast centers and our tsunami warning centers to see which ones can continue operating 24-7.”
Despite NOAA starting the year with a workforce of about 13,000 employees, including 4,300 in the Weather Service, a spokesperson emphasized that the agency is committed to its mission of delivering timely information, research, and resources for the American public.
A federal judge recently issued a ruling requiring the administration to reverse its directive for mass federal worker terminations, although it remains uncertain whether this ruling will influence the layoffs at the weather and climate agencies. Current and former officials, as well as lawmakers, have indicated that these cuts could severely affect public safety and the economy, jeopardizing essential functions that rely on accurate weather data.
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) voiced his concerns, labeling the firings as “a critical public safety issue.” He emphasized that both private-sector forecasters and meteorologists depend heavily on the data provided by these agencies. “They’re our eyes and ears,” he stated, warning that the absence of these professionals could lead to dire consequences for public safety.
According to a congressional analysis released last year, nearly half of the Weather Service's forecast offices were already understaffed before this wave of terminations. The hiring freeze instituted by Trump further strained these offices, forcing some employees to work overtime to maintain adequate coverage. Louis Uccellini, who served as Weather Service director from 2013 to 2022, highlighted the risks associated with understaffing: “What if an office lacked a key equipment technician on the midnight shift and a radar system went down?”
Termination notices indicated that affected NOAA and Weather Service employees were deemed “not fit for continued employment,” which many officials dispute given the pressing demands on Weather Service offices. Rick Spinrad, former NOAA administrator, confirmed that positions were also cut at critical centers like the National Hurricane Center and Storm Prediction Center, which are essential for generating forecasts that support local meteorologists, private sector entities, and media outlets.
The cuts included technicians responsible for repairing radar systems and larger projects at the National Reconditioning Center in Missouri. Jeran Krska, who recently joined the center, expressed concern over the agency’s diminished capacity to fulfill its mission. “We’re falling even more into a situation where we can’t support the mission anymore,” Krska noted.
Furthermore, approximately 25 percent of the staff at NOAA’s Environmental Modeling Center was eliminated, severely impacting the office responsible for building and maintaining the complex computer models that underpin weather predictions. Without adequate staffing, the accuracy of vital forecasts could be compromised, affecting not just U.S. weather but global predictions as well.
In addition to technical staff, various communication roles were also cut, including positions in external affairs and crisis communication. As a result, NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory announced that its communication services would be on “indefinite hiatus” due to staffing reductions. Tom Di Liberto, who was on the verge of completing his probation as a federal employee, reflected on his termination, stating, “Being a federal employee at NOAA was a dream come true.”
The recent staffing changes at the National Weather Service and NOAA raise significant concerns about the future of weather forecasting and public safety in the United States. As the government grapples with these challenges, the implications of these cuts will be felt by both the agency's employees and the general public.
