Scientists fear impact of National Weather Service cuts
TAZEWELL COUNTY, Ill. (WGN) — Sunday service at Crossroads Global Methodist Church often starts in song, but on the morning of November 17, 2013, it began with tornado sirens alerting congregants of an approaching storm.
'Everybody's phones were going off,' executive director Donna Cimino recalled. 'We immediately started moving people to our storm shelters.'
The warning issued by the National Weather Service a full 16 minutes ahead of the tornado's arrival no doubt saved lives as 190 mph winds ripped through the community of Washington and upended the lives of its 16,000 residents.
US forecasts will worsen as DOGE cuts mean fewer weather balloon launches, experts say
'The weather service that morning was top notch, and I just don't see how anybody or any other organization could put out warnings like that to save lives,' said Chuck Collins, chief meteorologist at WEEK-TV in Peoria. 'The weather service in Lincoln was on it. The first sign of rotation detected by Doppler they put out the warnings because they knew it was such a volatile situation.'
About 4,400 people operate the National Weather Service, including the development, launch, and maintenance of the country's satellite and Doppler radar systems. It's an immense task to provide the often critical, life-saving information every moment of every day of the year.
'It's incredible. From the sun to the sea, the only agency that has the word prediction, forecast and warnings in their mission statement is the National Weather Service,' said Dr. Louis Uccellini, who served as the service's director from 2013 to 2022. 'We're doing it for the protection of life and property, and for the enhancement of the national economy.'
The agency responsible for forecasts, warnings, and water and climate data is authorized by Congress to employ 4,800 but for the last several years has operated with a workforce of about 400 fewer. And as the summer hurricane season looms, so too do cuts to the federal workforce. Citing economics, the Trump administration announced sweeping cuts across multiple federal agencies, including the NWS.
NOAA set to fire 1,029 more employees
In late February, more than 500 probationary staff members were terminated across NOAA. That number includes about 100 National Weather Service employees. Since that time, probationers were reinstated and placed on paid administrative leave pending ongoing litigation. About 160 additional NWS employees accepted a deferred resignation package.
'I view it as an uninformed, cruel step,' Uccellini said. 'There are a number of people let go from offices already staffed at fairly low levels.'
The Washington tornado killed three residents, displaced roughly 2,000 more, and destroyed 596 homes, but six-term Republican Mayor Gary Manier said the tragedy could have been much worse without the relationship between the weather service's local office and the communities in harm's way.
'Those people do a remarkable job and we can't live without them,' he said.
Paul Dailey, the former head of Chicago's local weather office, agreed. His critical research led to new warning criteria after the deadly heatwave of 1995.
'From that day, we have saved many, many more lives,' he said. '(Local officials) have a hotline to our office, and either one of us pick up that phone at any time and talk to each other.'
Every piece of weather information clipped and disseminated has its origins with the National Weather Service. Without the NWS, the country would not have weather data.
'This fabric of collaboration within the weather service, within the enterprise, serving public officials that are making lifesaving decisions. If you keep on making these cuts, you are damaging that thread, and at some point it breaks, and it could break at a very difficult time for a community,' Uccellini warned.
As the cuts from Washington, D.C. spark concern among those in the federal workforce, they're also creating unease among students hoping to join the weather service.
'Many of them have dreams. They want to become a National Weather Service forecaster. They want to dedicate their lives to public service, and now they are seeing all around them, jobs getting pulled or rescinded back,' Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini said.
He added that the NWS budget is less than $1.5 billion, but the return on the investment is about $190 billion.
Supporters of the cuts argue that privatizing the service would save money, but taxpayers would likely pay more for private companies which would have the added expense of buying data back from the government.
Kyle Pittman, a doctoral candidate in meteorology at Northern Illinois University, called the downsizing 'frustrating.'
'We have more people and possessions in the path of tornadoes than ever before,' he said.
Dailey, the ex-chief of NWS Chicago, feared for what the cuts could mean for the health of the agency.
'If they lose what they say are the people who don't have enough time in the service yet — if you lose them, you're losing your youth, you're losing your future. How do you replace the future?' he said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Maps Show Homes Most At Risk of Damage As Hurricane Season Starts
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Millions of homes in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, New Jersey, and New York are at risk of suffering billions of dollars in storm-related and hurricane-wind damage this storm season, according to a new report by Cotality. Tom Larsen, assistant vice president of product marketing for insurance at Cotality, told Newsweek that the country is looking into "wind damage from hurricane-force winds threatening tens of millions of properties" and storm-surge flooding "that could inundate more than 6 million homes," as well as washed-out roads, disabled municipal water systems and overwhelmed power and wastewater networks in affected states. "It may not take a record number of storms to inflict record-level damage," he said. "Property owners, insurers and local governments should plan for at least one major landfall and the possibility of back-to-back billion-dollar events." Why It Matters This year's hurricane season, which officially began on June 1 and will continue until November 30, is expected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to have a 60-percent chance of being above-normal, with 13-19 projected storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes. A series of devastating storms such as the ones suggested by NOAA could cause major damage in the most at-risk states, including Florida and Texas, where homeowners are already facing rising home insurance premiums as a result of more frequent and more severe extreme weather events. What To Know Forecasters are expecting a slightly less active hurricane season this year than in 2024, when Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as five others and eight tropical storms, hit the U.S. But "it only takes one landfalling hurricane to cause significant damage to homes," Julia Talieson, data journalist at Insurify, told Newsweek. "Hurricanes bring strong winds, unrelenting rain, and steep storm surges that can wreak devastation on coastal and inland homes. Major hurricanes can tear away roofs, cause catastrophic flooding, fling debris through windows and doors, and damage home utilities," she said. Hurricanes Helene and Milton together caused more than $100 billion in damages last year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. "Just one strong storm can cause significant structural and financial damage," Talieson said. According to Cotality's analysis of nationwide data, there are more than 33.1 million homes nationally facing moderate or greater risk from hurricane-force winds and more than 6.4 million homes, ranging from Texas to Maine, currently facing a moderate or greater risk of sustaining damage from storm-surge flooding this year. It would cost an estimated $11.7 trillion to rebuild the homes damaged or destroyed by hurricane-force winds and about $2.2 trillion to rebuild those damaged or destroyed by storm surge. These are "significantly high" numbers, according to Larsen. They are likely so high because more Americans are living in harm's way today than ever before, Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute told Newsweek. "The fastest-growing states in the country are the two states most prone to landfalling hurricanes—Florida and Texas," he said. "Despite the hazards and cost of living associated with living along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, Americans want to be close to the beach." This choice, however, is becoming increasingly costly for homeowners—especially considering that only few of them currently have flood coverage. Should this year's hurricane season be above-normal, as NOAA researchers believe to be likely, homeowners in at-risk states may be in a very fragile position. "All it takes is one landfalling hurricane to make it a bad season for families and communities," Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute told Newsweek. "After five U.S. landfalling hurricanes last year, all residents in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states should prepare now." Crucial Gap in the Country's Insurance System Standard property insurance policies cover windstorm damage from hurricanes, but exclude flood damage, forcing homeowners to purchase separate coverage from either the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private flood insurer. A recent study conducted by the Insurance Information Institute and reinsurance company Munich Re found that approximately 88 percent of U.S. homeowners have property insurance. Only about 6 percent of all homeowners, however, have flood insurance—the majority of these are concentrated in coastal zones, Friedlander said. "Lack of flood coverage is the biggest insurance gap across the country," he told Newsweek. "As we saw last year with Hurricane Helene, inland flooding can be catastrophic from a landfalling hurricane. Ninety percent of U.S. catastrophes involve flooding," he added. "This is why flood insurance is essential for all residents, not just in coastal communities." With budget cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) introduced by the government, "there is no guarantee emergency grants will be available for storm victims who don't have adequate insurance coverage this season," Friedlander said. "It's essential for consumers to own their risk and make sure they are financially protected from storms by purchasing adequate levels of property insurance and flood insurance." An employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center at a news conference in Miami on May 30, 2025. An employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center at a news conference in Miami on May 30, 2025. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images Wind-related hurricane damage is a different story. "Most homeowners are probably covered against wind-related hurricane damage because standard HO-3 policies include wind protection," Talieson said. "However, some homeowners in high-risk areas may have policies that exclude wind damage under their standard deductible, which is how insurers cover hurricane-related damages." This could mean that these homeowners have a separate hurricane or wind deductible. "Instead of their standard deductible of $1,000 or $2,500, this deductible could be as much as 10 percent of their dwelling coverage," Talieson said. "For a home that has $400,000 dwelling coverage, this would mean that the hurricane damage would have a deductible of $40,000. In extreme cases, hurricane-related damage could be excluded completely and homeowners would need to find coverage elsewhere." The Growing Cost of Living in Harm's Way The high number of homes at risk of suffering severe damage during this year's hurricane season show that "living in hurricane-prone areas is beginning to come with a major financial burden," Talieson said. The situation is particularly risky for homeowners who have reduced their coverage by increasing their deductibles or forgoing optional protections, she added. "If a homeowner has a 5-percent or 10-percent hurricane deductible with $400,000 dwelling coverage, that means they must pay $20,000 or $40,000 out of pocket before insurance kicks in," Talieson said. "At this point, most wouldn't consider going through insurance unless their home was completely destroyed. And, since home insurance doesn't cover flood damage, going without flood insurance could leave homeowners even more vulnerable." With climate change making extreme weather events more unpredictable and more destructive, and President Donald Trump's administration's cutting FEMA's budget, Timothy Davidson, a professor at the School of Social Work at Tulane University, told Newsweek that homeowners should veer toward being overly cautious this year. "With FEMA in flux and response systems stretched extremely thin, individuals need to take preparedness into their own hands immediately," Davidson said. "Secure your home, stock essentials—more than you think you need—have backup power if possible, and make an evacuation plan NOW. If a major storm is forecast and you have the means, don't wait—leave early." In a crisis, he said, "self-reliance and community coordination will matter more than ever, connect with your neighbors, church groups and so on. With the FEMA staffing cuts, limited ability for coordination and collaboration with historic FEMA partners, and the current general state of limbo with disaster response…there is real potential for a Katrina level catastrophe or worse, and that is not an exaggeration," he added. "Don't count on aid coming. If it does, it will be very delayed and will likely be minimal at best. Prepare, prepare, prepare!"
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Americans Told to Stay Indoors in Three States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Air quality alerts were in effect for three U.S. states on Monday morning, with officials cautioning that heightened levels of air pollution could present a health risk to certain members of the population. Sensitive groups, such as older adults, children, and those with respiratory conditions are at particular risk during periods of poor air quality, experts say. The National Weather Service (NWS) published alerts for Maine, Ohio, and New Hampshire. An alert for Maine warned that smoke from Canadian wildfires would linger in the state's Northern region through Sunday evening. Smoke from Canadian wildfires can be seen partially obscuring the skyline of downtown Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Smoke from Canadian wildfires can be seen partially obscuring the skyline of downtown Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Nick Ingram/AP Photo "The Maine Department of Environmental Protection recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects," it advised. "People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young, the elderly, those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma, those with heart disease and anyone who is working hard outdoors," it added. This is a developing story and will be updated shortly.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Tropical Storm Cosme forms in the Pacific; severe thunderstorms spawn weekend tornadoes
Tropical Storm Cosme forms in the Pacific; severe thunderstorms spawn weekend tornadoes Show Caption Hide Caption NOAA, FEMA cuts will impact hurricane season, experts warn The Trump administration's budget cuts at NOAA and FEMA will have an adverse affect on how the U.S. responds to hurricanes, experts warn. All is quiet in the Atlantic hurricane basin as the second week of hurricane season begins, but the third storm of the season has formed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, west of Mexico, and the fourth could form later this week. In the Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane region, no tropical activity is expected within the next week, the National Hurricane Center said on June 8. But things are busy in the eastern Pacific. Tropical Storm Cosme formed June 8, about 665 miles south of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, the hurricane center said. Cosme could become a minimal hurricane, but is expected to dissipate by June 12. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Barbara lies between Cosme and Mexico, about 205 miles southwest of Zihuatanejo. It was expected to become a hurricane by the morning of June 9. The hurricane center forecasts its outer rainfall bands could drop 2 to 4 inches of rain on the coastal states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco through June 8, with the potential to cause localized flooding and landslides. Barbara could also bring life-threatening surf and rip currents along the coast of southwestern Mexico. Further south in the Pacific, a third low-pressure area is forecast to develop south of southern Mexico later in the week. Environmental conditions appear favorable for development, and it could become a tropical depression by June 13 or 14, the center said. If that becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Dalila. Severe thunderstorms spawn weekend tornadoes in the United States In the United States from June 7 to June 8, a swath of storms produced at least half a dozen tornadoes from Texas to Virginia, according to the Storm Prediction Center and National Weather Service. A tornado watch was in effect for the Washington D.C. area and parts of Virginia on June 8, where severe thunderstorms occurred. Two possible tornadoes were reported to the weather service in eastern Virginia near Chesapeake Bay on Sunday night, a touchdown that lasted less than a minute near Lerty, and a possible tornado in James City County. The weather service said more than 20 million people were under a severe thunderstorm watch across the southern plains and northern Texas. A storm chaser told the weather service in Lubbock, Texas, that high winds in one storm had blown a steeple off a church in Cee Vee on the evening of June 8, the forecast office reported. Elsewhere, a tornado was spotted in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, and one in Dallam County, Texas, where a barn was destroyed, the weather service said. Hailstorms pummeled the region, with reports of hail in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois on Sunday. The weather service has received more than 200 reports of hail larger than one inch in size since June 1. Just after midnight on June 9, more than 225,000 power outages were reported along the path of high winds and storms across the United States, including over 158,000 in Texas. Operation ICECHIP chasing Plains hail The Plains storms are proving fertile ground for a team of more than 100 researchers who are conducting field research for a groundbreaking project known as ICECHIP, supported by the National Science Foundation. The first collaborative U.S.-focused hail project in more than 40 years, it's expected to make a "generational leap forward" in understanding hail, study co-leader Victor Gensini, a Northern Illinois University atmospheric science professor, stated earlier in the spring. The team logged more than half a dozen reports to the weather service over the weekend. Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment, and other news. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
