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Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
NWS funding slashed months before floods
Published: Updated: As catastrophic floods swept through Central Texas on July 4, several National Weather Service (NWS) offices had already been in crisis for months. Key forecasting hubs across the state were operating without critical staff, the result of sweeping federal workforce reductions spearheaded by the White House 's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In San Angelo, the NWS offices' vacancy rate had doubled since January after losing several key personnel, including the warning coordination meteorologist, who retired early in April. The Austin/San Antonio office, operating with a 22 percent staffing shortfall. Experts such as meteorologist John Morales said 'it was a good forecast,' noting he did not believe cuts at the NWS ' had anything to do with the quality of the forecast [or] the advanced warning of the potential for flooding and damaging rains .' The NWS issued a flood watch on Thursday at 1:18pm, estimating up to seven inches of rain on Friday morning in South Central Texas. A flash flood warning was released at 1:14am on Friday, with a more extreme warning coming at 4:03am, urging people to immediately evacuate to high grounds as the situation became 'extremely dangerous and life-threatening. Rapid rainfall caused the Guadalupe River in Kerr Country to surge more than 30 feet above its normal level in under an hour. Erica Grow Cei, public affairs specialist/meteorologist at NOAA's National Weather Service, told 'Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) in Austin/San Antonio and San Angelo, TX had extra personnel on duty during the catastrophic flooding event in Texas' Hill Country during the July 4 holiday weekend. 'Extra staff members from both offices, in addition to the West Gulf River Forecast Center, had extra personnel on the night of Thursday, July 3 into the day on Friday, July 4. All forecasts and warnings were issued in a timely manner. 'Additionally, these offices were able to provide decision support services to local partners, including those in the emergency management community.' Meteorologist Matt Lanza told the Texas Tribune that the devastating event was not a result of a forecasting failure, but a breakdown in communication. While Texas offices have so far avoided overnight closures, unlike counterparts in Kansas and California, the operational strain threatens the consistency of weather monitoring and emergency communication in a state frequently battered by floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. The San Angelo office, which issued warnings for parts of central Texas, is short four staff members from its usual staffing level of 23. The meteorologist-in-charge position, the office's top leadership position, is not permanently filled. The office is also without a senior hydrologist, which is critical for analyzing stream flow and flood response, this vacancy was noted as a significant gap during the floods The NWS Austin/San Antonio office has been without a warning coordination meteorologist (WCM) and science officer. A WCM is the key interface between the NWS and the public, media, and emergency management officials. They are responsible for ensuring that NWS forecasts and warnings are understood and effectively communicated to the public, ultimately helping to mitigate the impact of severe weather events. Troy Kimmel, a longtime meteorologist and owner of Kimco Meteorological Services in Central Texas, stressed in May the importance of supporting organizations like the NWS rather than reducing their workforce. 'Let me tell you this, and this is where we are now. This worries me,' Kimmel said, highlighting the potential impact on weather forecasting services. He noted that there might come a day when local meteorologists will face challenges in getting timely weather information due to reduced staffing. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and the Houston Democratic Delegation sent a letter to NOAA leadership in May, raising concerns over the staffing crisis at the NWS Houston/Galveston office and requesting plans for maintaining services amid severe cuts. The NWS Houston/Galveston Forecast Office will soon lose all three members of its leadership staff,' the members wrote. 'The Meteorologist in Charge, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, and the Science and Operations Officer have all either already departed or announced their plans to leave following the announcement of significant staffing reductions at the direction of President Trump and Elon Musk. 'All three of the leadership roles in NWS regional forecast offices are vital to the overall operations of the office.' The Houston/Galveston office had a 44 percent vacancy rate by May, with 11 of its 25 budgeted positions unfilled. This was among the highest vacancy rates of any NWS office nationwide. The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas surpassed 100 on Monday as search-and-rescue teams continued to wade into swollen rivers and use heavy equipment to untangle trees as part of the massive search for missing people. Authorities overseeing the search for flood victims said they will wait to address questions about weather warnings and why some summer camps did not evacuate ahead of the flooding.
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
White House slashed Texas stations' National Weather Service funding just months before devastating floods
As catastrophic floods swept through Central Texas on July 4, several National Weather Service (NWS) offices were already in crisis. Key forecasting hubs across the state were operating without critical staff, the result of sweeping federal workforce reductions spearheaded by the White House 's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In San Angelo, the NWS offices' vacancy rate had doubled since January after losing several key personnel, including the warning coordination meteorologist, who retired early in April. The Austin/San Antonio office, operating with a 22 percent staffing shortfall. Meanwhile, the Houston/Galveston forecast office reported all management positions vacant by May, raising alarms about its capacity to handle the ongoing hurricane season. These vacancies stem largely from DOGE's aggressive campaign to shrink the federal workforce, resulting in the loss of nearly 600 NWS employees nationwide in 2025 alone. President Donald Trump rejected the idea of investigating whether NWS cuts had left key vacancies, saying that NWS cuts had anything to do with the tragedy were 'disgusting.' Experts such as meteorologist John Morales said 'it was a good forecast,' noting he did not believe cuts at the NWS 'had anything to do with the quality of the forecast [or] the advanced warning of the potential for flooding and damaging rains.' Erica Grow Cei, public affairs specialist/meteorologist at NOAA's National Weather Service, told 'Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) in Austin/San Antonio and San Angelo, TX had extra personnel on duty during the catastrophic flooding event in Texas' Hill Country during the July 4 holiday weekend. 'Extra staff members from both offices, in addition to the West Gulf River Forecast Center, had extra personnel on the night of Thursday, July 3 into the day on Friday, July 4. All forecasts and warnings were issued in a timely manner. 'Additionally, these offices were able to provide decision support services to local partners, including those in the emergency management community.' The NWS issued a flood watch on Thursday at 1:18pm, estimating up to seven inches of rain on Friday morning in South Central Texas. A flash flood warning was released at 1:14am on Friday, with a more extreme warning coming at 4:03am, urging people to immediately evacuate to high grounds as the situation became 'extremely dangerous and life-threatening. Rapid rainfall caused the Guadalupe River in Kerr Country to surge more than 30 feet above its normal level in under an hour. 'This wasn't a forecasting failure,' meteorologist Matt Lanza told the Texas Tribune. 'It was a breakdown in communication.' While Texas offices have so far avoided overnight closures, unlike counterparts in Kansas and California, the operational strain threatens the consistency of weather monitoring and emergency communication in a state frequently battered by floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. The San Angelo office, which issued warnings for parts of central Texas, is short four staff members from its usual staffing level of 23. The meteorologist-in-charge position, the office's top leadership position, is not permanently filled. The office is also without a senior hydrologist, which is critical for analyzing stream flow and flood response, this vacancy was noted as a significant gap during the floods The NWS Austin/San Antonio office has been without a warning coordination meteorologist (WCM) and science officer. A WCM is the key interface between the NWS and the public, media, and emergency management officials. They are responsible for ensuring that NWS forecasts and warnings are understood and effectively communicated to the public, ultimately helping to mitigate the impact of severe weather events. Troy Kimmel, a longtime meteorologist and owner of Kimco Meteorological Services in Central Texas, stressed in May the importance importance of supporting organizations like the NWS rather than reducing their workforce. 'Let me tell you this, and this is where we are now. This worries me,' Kimmel said, highlighting the potential impact on weather forecasting services. He noted that there might come a day when local meteorologists will face challenges in getting timely weather information due to reduced staffing. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and the Houston Democratic Delegation sent a letter to NOAA leadership in May, raising concerns over the staffing crisis at the NWS Houston/Galveston office and requesting plans for maintaining services amid severe cuts. The NWS Houston/Galveston Forecast Office will soon lose all three members of its leadership staff,' the members wrote. 'The Meteorologist in Charge, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, and the Science and Operations Officer have all either already departed or announced their plans to leave following the announcement of significant staffing reductions at the direction of President Trump and Elon Musk. 'All three of the leadership roles in NWS regional forecast offices are vital to the overall operations of the office.' The Houston/Galveston office had a 44 percent vacancy rate by May, with 11 of its 25 budgeted positions unfilled. This was among the highest vacancy rates of any NWS office nationwide. The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas surpassed 100 on Monday as search-and-rescue teams continued to wade into swollen rivers and use heavy equipment to untangle trees as part of the massive search for missing people. Authorities overseeing the search for flood victims said they will wait to address questions about weather warnings and why some summer camps did not evacuate ahead of the flooding. The officials spoke only hours after the operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, announced that they lost 27 campers and counselors to the floodwaters. Kerr County officials said Monday 10 campers and one counselor have still not been found. Searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, in the county home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, officials said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
TV Meteorologist Issues Stark Warning as Storm Forecasts Grow Less Reliable
Hurricane season just got a lot more personal. In a rare and unfiltered moment, veteran meteorologist John Morales went off-script on live TV, delivering a grave message that's resonating far beyond Miami. During a segment that began with archived footage of Hurricane Dorian, Morales did something that stunned viewers, the Cool Down reported. After decades of calmly guiding South Floridians through storm season, he admitted he may not be able to offer that same assurance this year. 'I am here to tell you I'm not sure I can do that this year,' he said. His reasoning? Cuts. Devastating ones. Morales pointed to what he called a 'sledgehammer attack on science,' referencing years of reduced funding and staff at NOAA, the National Weather Service, and FEMA. The result is a multigenerational setback to the systems Americans rely on for timely, accurate storm predictions. He warned that weather balloon launches, a critical tool for modeling storm paths, have been slashed by 20%, leading to degraded forecasts. 'The quality of the forecast is becoming degraded,' Morales said bluntly. It was more than just a moment of candor. It was a stark warning from someone who has made a career out of staying calm under pressure. And it speaks volumes about the state of hurricane preparedness heading into a season already predicted to be 'above average' in person replied, "I know a lot of people in Florida and I'm truly worried for them this year. Not only for the degraded weather predictions but for the new FEMA head who didn't know about hurricane season." As meteorologists across the country raise red flags, Americans in hurricane zones are being urged to act now. That means creating a go-bag, preparing for power outages, and staying informed, especially if forecast reliability is no longer a given. Morales may not be able to offer the same confidence this year. But his message was clear: ignore this warning at your own Meteorologist Issues Stark Warning as Storm Forecasts Grow Less Reliable first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 12, 2025
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Weatherman goes rogue on live TV with grave warning about hurricane season: 'I am here to tell you I'm not sure I can do that this year'
A meteorologist for Miami-based NBC affiliate WTVJ had a frank, chilling warning for his audience about an unprecedented hurricane season this year. On June 1, John Morales addressed his audience, which is in a hurricane-prone area, per the Guardian. WTVJ shared a clip of Morales' segment, which began with an archival hurricane forecast from "about six years ago." In the earlier footage, Morales assured viewers that the hurricane then being tracked "would turn," and he provided an estimate for when the turn would likely occur. "Remember that?" Morales asked as the clip ended. After identifying the older forecast as one from Hurricane Dorian, the weatherman segued into a jarring warning. "As you've grown accustomed to my presentations over my 34 years in South Florida newscasts, confidently, I went on TV and I told you, 'It's going to turn, you don't need to worry,'" Morales began. However, what he said next was blunt and concerning. "And I am here to tell you I'm not sure I can do that this year. Because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general," Morales continued, referencing well-documented cuts to both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. Morales lamented a "multigenerational impact on science in this country," stemming from broad cuts to our meteorological infrastructure. Meteorologists understand the dire risks posed by extreme weather extremely well, and it can be deeply unsettling when they're visibly unmoored — as Morales was in the viral segment. Weather experts have been sounding the alarm about hurricane season in the United States nonstop. In addition to NOAA and the NWS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency also faced massive, abrupt cuts and a leadership shakeup. "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," Morales said. By all accounts, hurricane season this year is likely to involve "above-average" activity. With NOAA, the NWS, and FEMA in "unprecedented disarray," our ability to model storm trajectories and to respond to hard-hit areas is severely diminished. In March, Accuweather urged readers to prepare for an active hurricane season this year. As Morales observed, forecasts are likely to be less reliable, leaving those in hurricane-prone areas more vulnerable. Prepacking a hurricane "go bag" allows quicker action in the event of a sudden or short-notice evacuation order. Broadly, becoming familiar with best practices during an active hurricane before one hits can go a long way in protecting people and property. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
New York Times
08-06-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
A Florida Weatherman's Hurricane Plea Went Viral. Here's Why.
A meteorologist who has spent his career warning South Florida about hurricanes had a new warning for viewers last week: He's not sure he can do it this year. John Morales of WTVJ in Miami said the Trump administration's recent cuts to the National Weather Service could leave television forecasters like him 'flying blind' this hurricane season. 'We may not exactly know how strong a hurricane is before it reaches the coastline,' he warned. Clips of Mr. Morales's comments have spread widely: one posted on MSNBC's TikTok account has nearly 4,500 comments, and news outlets around the world have written articles about what he said. (This isn't the first time Mr. Morales has been the subject of viral attention: In the fall, his emotional reaction to Hurricane Milton's rapid intensification also hit a nerve.) Here's what Mr. Morales had to say and more about what is going on with the Weather Service. He warned of less accurate forecasts. Mr. Morales's presentation on Monday began with a clip of himself following the Category 5 Hurricane Dorian in 2019 as it moved over the Bahamas. He reassured his Florida viewers that the powerful storm would turn north before it reached their coastline. And it did, exactly when Mr. Morales assured anxious viewers it would. The clip cuts to him in present day, slightly older and now wearing glasses. He recalled the confidence he used to have in delivering an accurate forecast to his viewers. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
