THE BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER : 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣/𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗞'𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗗.𝗢.𝗚.𝗘. 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗔𝗔 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗡𝗪𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟯𝟬 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗦

by Jim Barton, Sources: NBC News, Reuters

The Trump administration is moving to reverse sweeping staffing cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) following mounting criticism over their role in undermining the nation’s ability to respond to extreme weather. The decision comes in the wake of catastrophic flooding in Texas that killed more than 130 people, prompting bipartisan outrage and renewed scrutiny of the earlier downsizing.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the NWS, has been authorized to fill 450 critical positions, including meteorologists, hydrologists, and radar technicians, according to Reps. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.) and Mike Flood (R-Neb.). The announcement follows a summer marked by severe storms, record rainfall, and deadly flooding events that exposed the consequences of deep staffing shortages.

The cuts, implemented earlier this year by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the leadership of Elon Musk, had gutted the NWS. More than 600 probationary employees, among them hurricane hunters, storm modelers, and front-line meteorologists, were terminated on February 27 alone. At the time, five former NWS directors warned the administration that such losses would increase the risk of “needless loss of life.”

Those warnings appeared prescient when torrential rains battered Texas’ hill country July 4-7, causing flash floods that overwhelmed communities with little advance warning. While federal officials have not publicly linked the disaster to staffing shortfalls, one NWS insider told NBC News that the tragedy “strengthened the case” for rehiring hundreds of mission-critical employees.

“The Texas floods were a wake-up call,” the official said, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss personnel matters. “We were operating on skeleton crews, and that meant slower data collection, fewer forecasts, and exhausted staff.”

Rep. Sorensen, who co-sponsored the bipartisan Weather Workforce Improvement Act with Rep. Flood, called the rehiring effort “long overdue.” The bill seeks to classify NWS employees as essential to public safety, protecting them from future layoffs or early retirements.

“For months, Congressman Flood and I have been fighting to get NOAA and NWS employees the support they need,” Sorensen said. “Hundreds of unfilled positions have forced offices to cancel weather balloon launches, forgo overnight staffing, and push remaining meteorologists to exhaustion. We welcome this news, but without permanent protections, it’s only a temporary fix.”

While NOAA has begun the rehiring process, officials caution it could take months to bring new staff on board. As of this week, the federal job portal USAJobs lists just nine open NOAA positions, a fraction of what’s needed.

The NWS declined to comment on the changes. However, the political pressure appears unlikely to subside until Congress addresses the root cause: the vulnerability of America’s weather forecasting infrastructure to politically driven cuts.