By Valerie Volcovici, Rich McKay, and Leah Douglas
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Alarming developments have emerged as the Trump administration initiates mass layoffs at NOAA, the agency responsible for providing critical weather forecasts for the U.S. government. Scientists and researchers caution that this move will endanger the lives of Americans and impede essential climate research.
The layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began unfolding on Thursday afternoon, affecting over 800 workers, as reported by congressional sources. These terminations are part of a broader effort to streamline the federal government, spearheaded by President Donald Trump and his advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, aiming to reduce unnecessary expenditures.
Experts like Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, warn that the repercussions could be dire. “There will be individuals who may perish in severe weather events and related disasters due to these actions,” Swain stated.
NOAA, which houses critical entities such as the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, and tsunami warning centers, plays a pivotal role in providing life-saving information during weather crises. With climate change intensifying extreme weather conditions, accurate forecasting is more crucial than ever in safeguarding lives.
Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray emphasized the indispensability of NOAA’s services, stating, “Every American, regardless of location, relies on NOAA daily. These layoffs pose significant risks and could have catastrophic implications for our economy.”
Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” has already reduced the federal workforce by over 100,000 employees, deeming the government bloated and inefficient. The recent staff reductions at NOAA, an agency with 12,000 employees under the U.S. Department of Commerce, have primarily impacted probationary workers without strong job protections.
While the National Weather Service was spared from cuts, numerous scientists working on critical weather models and data analysis were among those let go. The layoffs affected specialists in marine habitats, satellite technology, and various support roles across different regions.
NOAA’s diverse functions extend beyond weather forecasting to encompass environmental research, fisheries management, and climate modeling, benefiting not only Americans but also international communities and scientific endeavors worldwide.
The abrupt dismissals have raised concerns about the nation’s preparedness for weather-related disasters and highlighted the importance of maintaining a robust and reliable weather monitoring system.
“In our practice, we don’t discuss personnel matters.”
“EVERYTHING’S IN FLUX”
Scientists, terminated workers, and Democratic lawmakers responded with dismay to the layoffs, expressing concerns that these actions could endanger Americans by weakening NOAA’s forecasting capabilities and undermining climate research.
It may not be widely recognized, but most, if not all, private weather companies in the United States, including those providing forecasts on television or through phone apps, heavily rely on taxpayer-funded instrumentation, data, predictive modeling, and forecasts supplied by NOAA, as pointed out by UCLA’s Swain.
Tom Di Liberto, a public affairs specialist and climate scientist at NOAA, was dismissed on Thursday afternoon. Despite being a probationary employee since joining as a full-time staff member last year, he had been working with NOAA as a contractor since 2010.
“The private sector cannot replicate NOAA’s functions, and vice versa,” he emphasized. “Dismantling NOAA is akin to demolishing the first floor of a skyscraper and causing the entire building to collapse.”
The layoffs also impacted the team at the environmental modeling center who manage NOAA’s weather models. Job cuts led to the cessation of weather balloon launches at a station in Alaska, according to Di Liberto.
A NOAA researcher specializing in studying atmospheric and ocean currents for hurricane forecasting and detailed fisheries data mentioned that approximately ten young scientists were abruptly let go from his office on Thursday.
Lindsay Johnson, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center, based at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, expressed concerns about the potential impact of the NOAA cuts on the center’s monitoring and analysis of drought conditions. She noted that the center’s weekly drought data is crucial for farmers, ranchers, commodity traders, and agribusinesses.
While the group’s funding remains intact for now, Johnson highlighted the uncertainty surrounding future planning in the current state of flux.
Jane Lubchenco, the former NOAA Administrator during the Obama administration, criticized the mass layoffs, arguing that they would not result in government savings considering NOAA’s already lean structure.
“The widespread terminations at NOAA today are a national disaster and a massive waste of resources,” Lubchenco wrote on LinkedIn. “Undermining NOAA’s ability to provide critical information, protect our oceans, and boost the economy defies all logic — it simply makes no sense whatsoever.”
(Reported by Valerie Volcovici, Rich McKay, and Leah Douglas; Additional reports by Julie Ingwersen, Emily Schmall, Karl Plume, and Andy Sullivan; Written by Joseph Ax; Edited by Frank McGurty and Aidan Lewis)
