US EditionDebate erupts over role job cuts played in weather forecasts ahead of deadly Texas floods
TEXAS, JUL 8 – Staffing cuts at the National Weather Service under the Trump administration may have impacted forecasting and coordination during the floods that caused over 80 deaths, officials and experts say.
- Devastating flash floods struck Texas Hill Country in 2025, killing over 80 people as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.
- The disaster prompted debate about Trump administration job cuts at the National Weather Service, with Democrats linking staffing reductions to forecast risks.
- Experts, including former NWS directors, warned that layoffs of about 550 employees, more than 10% of staff, degrade forecast quality amid critical weather events.
- Commerce Secretary Lutnick refuted claims that meteorologists were dismissed and emphasized his commitment to maintaining public safety and the integrity of weather forecasting.
- The controversy reflects ongoing debate over federal versus state disaster roles as FEMA aids cleanup and the White House considers reassessing its FEMA phaseout plan.
67 Articles
67 Articles
'There was plenty of time!' Forecaster aghast to learn his flood warning ignored
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.Nine months ago, Hurricane Helene barreled up from the Gulf of Mexico and slammed into the rugged mountains of western North Carolina, dumping a foot of ...
Staffing Cuts at NWS and the Tragic Flooding in Texas
Q: Is it true that if President Donald Trump hadn’t defunded the National Weather Service, the death toll in the Texas flooding would have been far lower or nonexistent? A: The Trump administration did not defund the NWS but did reduce the staff by 600 people. Those staffing cuts did not cause the high number of deaths in the flash floods on July 4, experts said. Local forecasting offices were sufficiently staffed and issued timely warnings. But…
Trump’s budget cuts are adding to risk in life-threatening floods and emergencies
Acclaimed author Michael Lewis wrote a book about the first Trump administration entitled The Fifth Risk, outlining the consequences when people who don’t understand how the government of a vast, complex and multifaceted nation works are put in charge of said government. The bestseller was more gripping and fascinating than any work of fiction. It outlined the realities that followed Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign promises to shrink the federal bu…
Dems Call for Investigation Into Trump NWS-FEMA Cuts After Texas Flood
"There are some serious questions about the impact of President Trump's assault on NOAA, the National Weather Service, and FEMA, and whether it made these floods more deadly," said Sen. Chris Murphy.
Dallas News
Texas flood puts spotlight on Trump nominee to lead agency that includes weather service
Last week’s devastating Hill Country flooding is likely to feature heavily in a Wednesday hearing on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Neil Jacobs to...
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