"Together with recent firings and resignations, the new cuts could hamper the National Weather Service’s ability to produce lifesaving forecasts, scientists say."
"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the nation’s premier agency for weather and climate science, has been told by the Trump administration to prepare to lose another 1,000 workers, raising concerns that NOAA’s lifesaving forecasts might be hindered as hurricane and disaster season approaches.
The new dismissals would come in addition to the roughly 1,300 NOAA staff members who have already resigned or been laid off in recent weeks. The moves have alarmed scientists, meteorologists and others at the agency, which includes the National Weather Service. Some activities, including the launching of weather balloons, have already been suspended because of staffing shortages.
Together, the reductions would represent nearly 20 percent of NOAA’s approximately 13,000-member work force.
Managers within NOAA have been told to draw up proposals for layoffs and reorganizations to trim the agency’s staff by at least 1,000 people, according to eight people who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the plans publicly. The effort is part of the “reductions in force” that President Trump required as part of an executive order last month, as he and the billionaire Elon Musk make rapid, large-scale cuts to the federal bureaucracy."
Raymond Zhong, Austyn Gaffney, and Christopher Flavelle report for the New York Times March 8, 2025.
SEE ALSO:
"NOAA To Potentially Cut More Than 1,000 Additional Employees" (CBS News)
"How Job Cuts At NOAA Could Impact Weather Forecasting" (ABC News)
"As NOAA Cuts Loom, Scientists And Industry Are Pushing Back" (Washington Post)
"'Goal Is Destruction': Fired Calif. NOAA Scientists Warn Of Dire Global Consequences" (SFGate)
"NOAA Hurricane Hunter Layoffs Threaten To Degrade Hurricane Forecasts" (Yale Climate Connections)
"Layoffs And Potential Closures Of Key Facilities Raise Worries About NOAA's Future" (NPR)
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