What is NOAA? Mass Layoffs Spark Concerns

Yahoo

28-02-2025

Brad Reinhart, Senior Hurricane Specialist at the National Hurricane Center, works on tracking Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season, at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., on July 01, 2024. Credit - Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The Trump Administration has begun firing probationary employees at the federal agency tasked with overseeing weather prediction and climate research, raising concerns about the nation's ability to accurately forecast hurricanes, tornadoes and other extreme weather events that have become more common in recent years.
The layoffs affect the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service and a vast monitoring system that provides free data to commercial forecasters. The move is part of the Trump Administration's broader effort to reduce the federal workforce and trim government spending, impacting nearly every federal agency.
At least 880 employees were dismissed on Thursday, according to Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the ranking member on the Senate Committee that oversees the agency. Laid off staffers who were considered probationary employees—those who have been in their jobs for a short period and lack the protections afforded to staff members with longer tenure—received an email Thursday, which read in part: '[T]he Agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and/or skills do not fit the Agency's current needs.'
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The firings, which are expected to continue in the coming days, have sparked outrage among experts and lawmakers, who warn that such cuts could severely hamper NOAA's ability to respond to the increasing severity of weather events. The National Weather Service, a key division of NOAA, plays a vital role in issuing warnings and forecasts for life-threatening storms, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires. With climate change driving more frequent and intense weather events, the loss of skilled personnel at the agency is seen as a significant blow to the nation's preparedness.
'Going into the severe weather and hurricane season, this cannot be good,' weathercaster Al Roker wrote on X, adding that the agency does more than just forecasts. 'It's fire weather. It's severe weather outlooks. It's climate. It's information that our FARMERS use day in and day out making us the breadbasket of the world. This agency monitors our oceans, our fisheries health.'
Some of those laid off held specialized roles, including meteorologists, data scientists, and engineers responsible for maintaining NOAA's satellite and radar systems, which provide real-time data to forecasters, according to people familiar with the situation.
The firings appear to be part of a broader strategy outlined in "Project 2025," a conservative policy framework that has closely matched the Trump Administration's approach to government operations. The blueprint calls for reducing the scope of agencies like NOAA, citing concerns over spending and what it deems "climate change alarmism." Project 2025 proposes limiting the role of the National Weather Service and suggests commercializing weather data, rather than continuing to provide it for free to the public, which would mark a sharp departure from the agency's long-standing mission of ensuring that life-saving forecasts and warnings remain accessible to all. Trump, who has long rejected climate change, has not yet outlined his plans for NOAA or for the Weather Service.
Here's what to know about the layoffs at NOAA.
Established in 1970, the agency is perhaps best known for overseeing the National Weather Service and operating some of the most advanced weather prediction and monitoring systems in the world, responsible for tracking temperature shifts, tornadoes, and hurricanes. But NOAA also plays a vital role in scientific research, providing essential data for studies on climate change, marine ecosystems, and the health of the planet's oceans.
The agency oversees the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Service, the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, and NOAA Corps. The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, for example, manages a fleet of scientific and survey ships and airplanes that provide key data for climate, weather, fisheries, and underwater mapping.
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NOAA's official mission is "to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, ocean, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources." Its research and data is considered crucial for meteorologists, but also to industries that depend on accurate forecasting, including agriculture, fisheries, transportation, and the energy sector.
The firings come just as the U.S. braces for a potentially intense season of extreme weather, including hurricanes, wildfires, and severe storms, which have become more frequent and intense in recent years. With fewer personnel to monitor and predict these events, experts worry that NOAA's ability to provide accurate and timely forecasts could be severely compromised.
'This is deeply troubling,' meteorologist Jim Cantore wrote on X. 'NWS forecasters don't just come in and put a forecast together. They make processes for all forecasters so much better.'
A reduction in staff at the National Weather Service, which relies on a highly trained workforce, could potentially mean fewer meteorologists available to track storms, launch weather balloons for atmospheric data, and issue critical alerts, particularly during peak weather seasons. NOAA, for example, gathered satellite data on the devastating wildfires in California in January that helped inform decisions on the ground.
NOAA's research capabilities could also suffer. The agency is at the forefront of climate science, researching ocean health and atmospheric conditions. Layoffs impacting scientists and engineers working on data collection systems such as satellites and radar could disrupt NOAA's ability to monitor long-term environmental shifts and conduct cutting-edge research.
Write to Nik Popli at [e-mail].