US EditionUS weather forecasting is more crippled than previously known as hurricane season nears
- The National Weather Service is entering hurricane season on June 1 with 30 of its 122 forecast offices lacking a meteorologist-in-charge, a critical management role.
- This staffing shortfall stems from a combination of layoffs, early retirements, and long-standing vacancies that have weakened the agency more than previously recognized.
- Meteorologists-in-Charge serve as team leaders and essential links to headquarters, providing briefings to media and emergency managers in major population centers like New York City and Houston.
- Hurricane Harvey in 2017 killed at least 68 people and dumped 60.58 inches of rain, yet the Houston-Galveston office currently has no manager amid widespread reductions in weather balloon data and critical radar repairs.
- The agency’s staffing and equipment shortages risk degrading forecast accuracy and delay life-saving warnings, increasing vulnerability as a destructive hurricane season approaches.
18 Articles
18 Articles
How staffing shortages at the National Weather Service could put lives at risk
The Trump administration’s dismissals of hundreds of experts compiling a key report on climate change is only the latest in a series of science-related rollbacks and cuts. That includes job cuts at the National Weather Service, where an Associated Press analysis found a 20 percent vacancy rate in nearly half its forecast offices. John Yang speaks with AP science writer Seth Borenstein for more.
Trump administration's spending cuts put National Weather Service's effectiveness at risk
Hurricane season starts on June 1, and there are dark clouds hovering over the National Weather Service.The nation's forecasting agency has lost nearly 600 employees since President Donald Trump's second term began in January, leaving some bureaus short-staffed. Some offices with vacancies are located in major areas, including New York City, Houston, and Tampa.Meteorologists are concerned that potentially life-saving warnings could be broadcast …
US weather forecasting in worse shape than experts knew after Trump cuts: report
ABC News reported this week that the U.S. experienced a multi-state tornado outbreak, impacting millions of people. However, behind the scenes of the world of weather forecasters, things are far worse than previously known. CNN reported Friday that the drastic budget and staff cuts to the National O...
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