‘Flying blind': Florida weatherman tells viewers Trump cuts will harm forecasts
A leading TV weatherman in Florida has warned viewers on air that he may not be able to properly inform them of incoming hurricanes because of cuts by the Trump administration to federal weather forecasting.
John Morales, a veteran meteorologist at NBC 6 South Florida, told viewers on Monday night that Donald Trump's cuts to climate and weather agencies mean that forecasters will be 'flying blind' into what is expected to be an active hurricane season.
Recalling Hurricane Dorian, which devastated the Bahamas in 2019 and appeared to be heading straight for Florida, Morales said he was confidently able to assure worried viewers it would turn away from the state.
Related: Key US weather monitoring offices understaffed as hurricane season starts
'I am here to tell you I'm not sure I can do that this year,' he said. 'Because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general.'
Morales said that the attacks by the Trump administration on science would have a 'multigenerational impact on science in this country' and will specifically hamper his job due to the slashing of hundreds of jobs at the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).
'Did you know central and south Florida National Weather Service offices are currently 20% to 40% understaffed, from Tampa to Key West?' Morales said, referencing the widespread staff shortages in weather service offices along the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico coast and Puerto Rico.
'This type of staffing shortage is having impacts across the nation because there has been a 20% reduction in weather balloon releases, launches. What we are starting to see is the quality of the forecast is becoming degraded.'
TV forecasters such as Morales, as well as private weather forecasting services and apps, rely upon federal scientists for data gleaned from sources such as satellites, weather balloon launches and aircraft surveys. Morales warned viewers that Noaa 'hurricane hunter' aircraft may not be able to fly this year and 'with less reconnaissance we may be flying blind and we may not exactly know how strong a hurricane is before it reaches the coastline'.
On Thursday, Morales told the Guardian that he stood by his statements and that the 'message was clear' to viewers. Asked if he was worried about retaliation from an administration that has sought to defund and disparage scientists, Morales said: 'No, not at all. Science is science.'
Noaa has predicted that the US's hurricane season, which officially started on Sunday, will be more active than usual, with as many as five major hurricanes with winds of 111mph (179km/h) or more. This has heightened concerns over the consequences of funding cuts by Trump as part of the president's attempts to shrink the federal workforce.
After losing 600 staff to layoffs and early retirements, causing it to admit to 'degraded operations' with fewer staff to handle forecasts, the National Weather Service was this week given special permission to hire 100 forecasters, radar technicians and others despite a government-wide hiring freeze. The Trump administration has insisted the American public will be properly informed of hurricane risks despite the cuts.
But experts have said that much more will need to be done to ensure the weather service is not overstretched and for the US to become better prepared for extreme weather impacts that are escalating due to global heating. Trump has regularly dismissed the established science of climate change, calling it a 'giant hoax' and 'bullshit'.
On air on Monday, Morales said viewers should rally to protect the National Weather Service. 'What you need to do is call your representatives and make sure these cuts are stopped,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Heat advisory issued for Willamette Valley, extreme temperatures forecast east of Cascades
A heat advisory has been issued across the Willamette Valley June 8 and 9 for temperatures in the mid 90s while extreme heat north of 100 degrees is expected to hit north-central Oregon. The National Weather Service forecasted temperatures to reach 92 and 96 degrees in Portland, Salem and Eugene both days, while an extreme heat watch was issued for the eastern Columbia Gorge and Plateau that could bring temperatures as high as 104. "In the Willamette Valley we're not expecting 100 degrees just yet but it could get close," NWS meteorologist Colby Neuman said. The average temperatures this time of year in the Willamette Valley is about 72 degrees. Salem and Eugene are forecast to hit 93 and 94 degrees, likely falling short of record levels. The record-high temperature in Salem for June 8 was 98 degrees and June 9 was 96, both set in 1955. The first 100 degree day in Salem was recorded on May 28, 1983. Temperatures are expected to cool back toward average levels by midweek. "Right now we've got a high pressure ridge blocking any ocean air from reaching us and keeping that heat in place," Neuman said. The ridge is expected to break down later in the week and allow cooler ocean air to come in. On the hottest days, the National Weather Service suggested: Drink plenty of fluids, stay in a cool place during the heat of the day, stay out of the sunshine, and check up on relatives and neighbors. For those without air conditioning, use fans to keep air moving. Keeps windows closed during the day and open at night. Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates. Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. An extreme heat warning was issued for north-central Oregon, near small towns such as Condon, for temperatures up to 101 degrees. Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@ or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Heat advisory issued for Willamette Valley with temperatures in 90s
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Overnight storms bring powerful winds, likely tornadoes to parts of Oklahoma
Severe storms overnight Friday and early Saturday morning spawned high winds and caused damage in parts of Oklahoma. Expect a soggy Saturday, June 7, as more rain and thunderstorms are expected at least throughout the morning. Tornado warning sirens blared in the Oklahoma City metro area after midnight but no significant damage has been reported in the area. But downed trees and power lines were reported in Grant County in northern Oklahoma. Storm trackers at multiple news stations also reported a tornado on the ground overnight near the Oklahoma-Texas border in the town of Sweetwater, although experts with the National Weather Service said various locations across the state needed further investigation. More: Oklahoma is drought free after nearly 6 years, but will it last? Weather experts weigh in "Nothing has been confirmed yet, so we've still got to take a look at it more in-depth and then go from there," said Ryan Bunker, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman. "We had a 70 mph wind gust in Sayre in Beckham County; a 69 mph wind gust in Warr Acres, which is in Oklahoma County; and a 71 mph wind in Buffalo, and that's in Harper County. We had several 60+ mph wind reports all over the place." According to OG&E, the state's largest electric utility, the hardest-hit areas were Alva, Enid and Poteau. OG&E also reported around 9,500 customers without power just before 9:45 a.m. Saturday. The highest risk of severe weather later Saturday is expected south of the metro area and toward the east, according to the National Weather Service. "We're watching a residual boundary that's going to be hanging around from the morning's storms near the Red River, so really the area we're most concerned about with additional storms later (Saturday) is going to be primarily south-central and southeastern Oklahoma," Bunker said. "Not to say that we can't get storms further to the north, but just given the overall evolution of (Saturday) morning's storms, it seems the best chances for anything severe is going to be across southern Oklahoma." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Storms bring damaging winds overnight to parts of Oklahoma.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kathy's #Mailbag, June 6, 2025
Jun. 6—The story of Urbana's "state streets" ... next steps for a long-time church congregation on the UI campus ... a recent NOAA weather radio signal outage ... and what happens to gym shoes that are tossed over power lines. All in this week's Mailbag. Townies and most UI alumni know about the cluster of "state streets" in the neighborhood just north of Florida Avenue and east of Lincoln Avenue. It turns out that at least 19 U.S. states have lent their names to streets in the City of Urbana since it was founded in 1833. They were named one at a time, or a few at a time, over many decades. And some of their names were changed along the way. It's easier to trace the "when" than the "why" behind the names. An 1858 map of Urbana shows California and Oregon streets extending east from present-day Lincoln Avenue. California had become a state in 1850, but Oregon did not officially join the union until 1859 — so the street in Urbana may, technically, have been named after the Oregon Territory. An 1893 atlas of Champaign County showed Ater Street as the name of current-day Nevada Street. Dry Street had been renamed Illinois Street by 1909, and Nevada Street (west of Lincoln Avenue) was shown on the 1909 map, as well. (If you're not confused enough already, think about this: Hubbard Avenue was the name of the three-block stretch of current-day Nevada Street that lay just east of Lincoln Avenue, as shown on a map dated "191?" at the county historical archives. Back then, Ater Street picked up again east of North Street, which we know today as McCullough Street. There is no Ater or Hubbard street today; those segments are now Nevada Street.) In his April 30, 2021 Mailbag, Tom Kacich told the story of Blair's Addition — the first name of the fashionable subdivision developed by UI Professor Joseph C. Blair. It soon became known as the University Heights Addition to Urbana, and it's the area that comes to mind when many of us hear the term "state streets." Some townies may have had their own name for the neighborhood in later years. "In 1910, according to a February 1937 story in the Urbana Courier, Blair purchased 40 acres of land — south of what is now Michigan Avenue — that he intended to develop as a model residential section of Urbana. Streets and lots were surveyed, sewage and water lines were installed, streets and sidewalks were built on five 'state' streets: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Delaware and Florida," Kacich wrote. A 1913 map of Urbana shows Washington Street just south of Nevada Street, and the corporate (city) limit boundary was just south of Michigan Avenue. The map shows Michigan Avenue, Iowa Street, Indiana Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue (east of Lincoln Avenue). However, it appears present-day Indiana Avenue was called Morris Avenue at that time. And it seems current-day Ohio Street was called Indiana Avenue in those early years. I've not found documentation about who, exactly, named which of those streets — or why some of the names were changed. Several maps from the same era show that the west-of-Lincoln-Avenue portion of present-day Pennsylvania Avenue was called Maple Avenue in the city's early days; Maple Avenue had been renamed Pennsylvania Avenue by the time the 1923 campus map was published. Florida Avenue was on that 1923 map, as well. A 1926 map of the city, "revised in 1936 and 1947," showed Maryland and Virginia Drives as short north-south streets sandwiched between Pennsylvania and Florida Avenues. I don't know whether those names appeared on the original 1926 map, or if those streets and their names were added in the later revisions. (Perhaps a reader who has an unrevised 1926 map, or a map from the early '30s, could check and let us know if Maryland and Virginia Drives existed then.) A 1952 map shows Colorado Avenue in southeast Urbana, and a newspaper article from January of that year referred to "the Sidney road, now renamed Colorado Avenue." So what about the origins of some of Urbana's later, and lesser-known, "state streets" — including some that came and went within a relative few years? Maps from the late 1940s and early '50s show "Illini Village" in the area where the Pennsylvania and Florida Avenue Residence Halls are today — between Lincoln Avenue and Mount Hope Cemetery. Several online resources from the UI Archives tell us Illini Village was a temporary student housing complex for veterans and their families, built after WWII. A 1950 map, titled "University of Illinois's Hometown of Champaign-Urbana," shows Carolina as the next north-south street east of Virginia Avenue. Today, the former Carolina seems to be a driveway that runs between the Sigma Nu fraternity house, and Carr and Babcock Residence Halls. A couple of even shorter north-south streets, Alabama and Georgia, were located approximately where Saunders Hall is today. By the time the oldest Baby Boomers were ready for college in the 1960s, there was an immediate need for a more traditional type of student housing. PAR (1962) and FAR (1966) were built where Illini Village had been, and some of Urbana's shortest (and shortest-lived) state streets disappeared for good. Pastor Kristine Light tells me the UniPlace congregation is not disbanding, and will be moving to the University YMCA this fall. "Our last worship service in the building will be Sunday Sept. 14, 2025. We are excited to be taking our student ministries, food pantry, Community Free Dinner program, worship life and excellent music ministry with us to our new home at the University YMCA," 1001 S. Wright Street in the heart of campus. On Thursday evening, the Champaign County History Museum hosted a History on the Town reception at the current church, 403 S. Wright in Champaign. The invitation to the event noted that the congregation has, indeed, decided to sell the property. Details on the potential sale were not available at presstime. According to CCHM, the congregation's first church was established on the campus in 1872. The current church, which was dedicated in April 1936, was built after a March 1932 fire destroyed the previous building. Gregory Manzana, deputy chief of operations with the Champaign Police Department, said CPD and other city departments work hard to ensure a fun, welcoming and safe environment for visitors to FNL and other city events. Champaign Police officers are assigned in the department's north district and on specific downtown details throughout the summer, and part of their role is to ensure that traffic in the area complies with the Illinois Vehicle Code. "I am thankful for this person's willingness to reach out through the Mailbag, as Champaign Police received no calls for service related to speed or vehicle noise on Friday night, May 30, and this provides actionable information to our officers in the area. On Friday night, officers did take proactive steps to address concerns they saw in the area, including speeding. Manzana said an infrastructure change already is planned to slow traffic and encourage everyone to safely share the right-of-way as part of the Phase II construction of the Downtown Plaza. "A tabled intersection is planned for the intersection of Neil and Hill Streets that will slow vehicles in the area and make access to the Neil Street Plaza more welcoming, regardless of mode of travel or physical ability." More information on the tabled intersection is available at . That project is being coordinated through the city's Planning & Development and Public Works departments. The Champaign weather radio station, which is operated by the National Weather Service's office in Lincoln, posted this notice on the US National Weather Service Central Illinois Facebook page on May 28: "Due to a required, scheduled update to our main computer systems, all NOAA Weather Radio stations operated by our office will be off the air from about 7 a.m. Tuesday, June 3rd through the afternoon of Thursday, June 5th. We are unable to reschedule this upgrade in the event of severe weather, so be sure to have alternate ways to receive severe weather information during this time period." Weather radio stations with transmitters in Bloomington, Champaign, Galesburg, Jacksonville, Newton, Paris, Peoria, Shelbyville and Springfield were affected by the scheduled outage. Full disclosure: the reader's question came in a few days before the planned outage, so we got in touch with NWS-Lincoln's lead meteorologist, Chris Geelhart, to see if the computer updates had begun early. He checked for the Champaign signal shortly after we sent him the question, "and WXJ-76 is currently broadcasting; we're able to pick it up over the air from here. Not sure if it was a momentary fluke" with the radio signal or the reader's receiver. Months ago, a Mailbag reader asked whether NOAA could livestream its weather radio stations, and the official answer was "no." That same reader just told me that WeatherUSA, a privately owned company that offers weather-related data and business services, streams some NOAA Weather Radio stations including Champaign-based WXJ-76. You can hear that stream, and others from around the country, free of charge at . Note that the streams may be delayed by 10 seconds to 2 minutes because of buffering or network delays. Lily Walton, executive director of the Housing Authority of Champaign County, said the project "is still underway and is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. Work has been ongoing and the windows are boarded-up to prevent squatters" from occupying and possibly vandalizing the units. UI spokesperson Robin Kaler said yes, it was — and "when the column-I was retired, we asked all university units to use the materials they had already produced and phase out the logo in ways that were sustainable, realistic and budget-conscious. "Changes to websites began almost immediately, and supplies of stationery and other paper supplies continue to dwindle. Obviously, adornments designed to be permanently displayed on outdoor spaces are the most complicated to change." They also can be some of the most costly changes related to a rebranding effort — a one-time expense that's not necessarily a part of a unit's annual budget. "Since the announcement of the new Illinois brand platform in 2024, Strategic Communications and Marketing has been providing additional support to update prominent column-I logos to our new branding. Replacement of the signs on the overpass on I-57 and extension offices across the state, as well as at the Illini Union Bookstore, the intersections of Lincoln/Green, University/Wright, Race/Florida and Race/Windsor began several months ago. We plan to have these completed by the end of September. "We are as eager as your readers to show our block-I pride everywhere!" Ameren spokesperson Karly Combest said that utility's linemen do remove athletic shoes from lines when necessary. For whatever reason, the shoe-tossing "seems to be abundant during the move-out season for students." She points out that the particular set of overhead wires in the reader-submitted photo is not an electric line; it's a communications line, likely belonging to AT&T. Uhhh, it's been a while now. City of Champaign spokesperson Jeff Hamilton said "in July 2024, the City of Champaign revoked the liquor license previously issued to Joe's Liquor on Bradley, Inc., located at 1807 W. Bradley Ave., following multiple violations of the city's Liquor Ordinance. Around this same time, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission also revoked the business's state liquor license for multiple violations of state law."
