Oklahoma City, OK — The National Weather Service (NWS) is beginning to hire again following a wave of controversial layoffs that have significantly reduced its workforce. However, some lawmakers and meteorologists warn that these limited hirings may be insufficient to address the agency’s critical staffing shortfall during a period marked by heightened severe weather, hurricane, and wildfire activity.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) expressed deep concern over the administration’s reduction of essential weather forecasting personnel. “We are very concerned about the administration’s slashing of a workforce that is essential for weather forecasting,” Cantwell said. According to her, the NWS has lost more than 560 staff members — a 33 percent decrease from typical staffing levels — leaving many forecast offices across the country critically understaffed.
The senator warned that this reduction jeopardizes public safety at a time when accurate weather predictions are crucial. “Last year, there were 27 weather disaster events that cost taxpayers at least $1 billion each, totaling $183 billion in damages and resulting in 568 deaths,” Cantwell noted.
Retired meteorologist Jeff Renner also voiced worries that staffing cuts could diminish the quality of local weather broadcasts. “The weather segment of a television news broadcast is probably the first or second most watched element of a newscast,” Renner explained. “We are seeing a move toward some stations outsourcing the production and presentation of these weather elements, which means a loss of local knowledge.”
Cantwell pointed to a recent incident in her home state where the absence of a local meteorologist contributed to people venturing into dangerous conditions, resulting in fatalities. “We had an incident in our state where we didn’t have a local meteorologist, and people went out in the wrong conditions and we lost lives,” she said.
In response to mounting criticism, the Trump Administration announced this week a partial lifting of a hiring freeze to bring on 126 new employees, aiming to “stabilize operations” at the National Weather Service. Still, some experts question whether this measure will be sufficient to fully restore the agency’s capacity during this critical weather season.
