Valerie Volcovici, Rich McKay, and Leah Douglas reported in Washington (Reuters) that the recent overhaul within NOAA, the key provider of U.S. weather forecasts, has caused concern among scientists and researchers. The firing of over 800 employees by the Trump administration is seen as a threat to American lives and a hindrance to essential climate research.
The dismissals at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which began unfolding on Thursday, have sparked fears of increased risks in extreme weather events and related disasters, according to experts. This move is part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump and his advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, to trim federal spending.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain from the University of California, Los Angeles, warned that the consequences of these layoffs could result in preventable deaths during severe weather incidents. NOAA, which houses critical services like the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, plays a vital role in providing lifesaving information during weather emergencies.
At a time when climate change is exacerbating the impact of natural disasters, swift and accurate weather predictions are crucial for public safety. This downsizing could have severe implications, as weather-related disasters are becoming more frequent and intense.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray expressed concerns about the potential catastrophic effects on the economy and the safety of all Americans. The downsizing efforts led by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have already affected a significant number of federal employees, with NOAA being the latest target.
NOAA’s diverse functions, including weather forecasting, climate research, and environmental data collection, are essential for various sectors of society. The agency’s work extends beyond national borders, benefiting other countries and advancing global scientific research.
The layoffs mainly targeted probationary workers, resulting in the removal of key personnel involved in weather modeling and data analysis. Employees in roles such as marine specialists, satellite analysts, and IT professionals were among those affected by the dismissals.
The reduction in NOAA’s workforce has raised concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its crucial missions and maintain public safety standards. The impact of these changes on weather forecasting and climate research remains a subject of ongoing scrutiny and debate.
“We, we don’t discuss personnel matters,” said the official.
“EVERYTHING’S IN FLUX”
Scientists, terminated workers, and Democratic lawmakers responded with dismay to the recent layoffs, expressing concerns that the reduction in staff would jeopardize Americans by diminishing NOAA’s forecasting capabilities and undermining climate research.
It may not be widely known, but most, if not all, private weather companies in the U.S., which provide forecasts for television or phone apps, rely heavily on the backbone of taxpayer-funded instrumentation, data, predictive modeling, and forecasts provided by NOAA,” stated UCLA’s Swain.
Tom Di Liberto, a public affairs specialist and climate scientist at NOAA, was let go on Thursday afternoon. Despite being a probationary employee after transitioning to a full-time role last year, he had been working for NOAA as a contractor since 2010.
“The private sector cannot replicate what NOAA does, and vice versa,” he emphasized. “Dismantling NOAA is akin to demolishing the first floor of a skyscraper and compromising the entire structure.”
The layoffs also impacted the team at the environmental modeling center responsible for running NOAA’s weather models. Due to job cuts, a weather station in Alaska has ceased launching weather balloons, as reported by Di Liberto.
A NOAA researcher specializing in atmospheric and ocean currents to aid in hurricane forecasting and provide detailed information for the nation’s fisheries revealed that approximately 10 young scientists were abruptly dismissed from his office on Thursday.
Lindsay Johnson, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, expressed concerns that the NOAA cuts could affect the group’s work monitoring and analyzing drought conditions. She noted that the center’s weekly drought data is closely followed by farmers, ranchers, commodity traders, and agribusinesses.
For now, the group’s funding remains intact, she confirmed. “The issue is that everything is uncertain. Planning becomes quite challenging,” Johnson remarked.
Jane Lubchenco, the former NOAA Administrator under President Barack Obama, criticized the mass layoffs, arguing that they would not result in cost savings for the government since NOAA was already operating as a “lean” agency.
“The widespread firings at NOAA today are a national catastrophe and a monumental waste of resources,” Lubchenco stated on LinkedIn. “Compromising NOAA’s capacity to provide life-saving information, maintain the health of our oceans, and bolster the economy is absurd — utterly nonsensical.”
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici, Rich McKay, and Leah Douglas; Additional reporting by Julie Ingwersen, Emily Schmall, Karl Plume, and Andy Sullivan; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Frank McGurty and Aidan Lewis)
