Through the end of May, the risk of twisters is heightened. Though we’d hoped a Glen Powell-lookalike would be ready to forecast us through the spring storms, our mystery meteorologist probably got axed in the most recent round of federal layoffs. (Sigh, Pete Delkus will have to do.)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, has been impacted by the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) mass firings. Hundreds of meteorologists and technicians from across the country have lost their jobs over the last month, just as the threat of extreme weather looms across Tornado Alley.
According to an NBC 5 investigation, DOGE buyout offers and long-standing vacancies further exacerbate a long-understaffed workforce. While the feds have reinstated some probationary employees to comply with a Maryland court order, NBC reports that those staffers were on administrative leave and had not been asked to return to the office as of last week.
Further staffing cuts are planned for later this spring as part of President Donald Trump's workforce reduction plan, and The New York Times estimates the agency could head into the summer with 20% fewer staffers than it started the year with.
Still, Victor Murphy, a climate services program manager for the National Weather Service Southern Region, says North Texans should expect forecasts as usual through tornado season despite staffing challenges.
“We’ve got amazingly dedicated people in our offices, and they'll keep the watches and warnings going,” Murphy told the Observer. “I would have no qualms whatsoever about the quality or the timeliness of all watches and warnings for North Texas for this coming spring.”
Murphy admits he has concerns about the long-term outlook for the “critical” employees at the NWS and NOAA. As a more significant workload overburdens fewer employees, he worries that burnout and stress could eventually catch up to the agencies.
Furthermore, because it is difficult to quantify something like burnout, he worries it will be impossible to fully understand the scope of the damage to NOAA and the NWS.
"We're doing the best we can, and will the basic mission suffer? I don't think so. But people will be under a lot of additional stress, a lot of additional strain." - Victor Murphy, National Weather Service Southern Region
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Other officials have issued a more dire warning, arguing that a smaller workforce will eventually impact the efficacy of each agency in the event of extreme weather. While the threat of tornadoes fades in the early summer, hurricane season kicks up in June through November.
“There is a really grave concern that our offices may not be able to support high-impact events that require all hands on deck,” JoAnn Becker, president of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, told NBC 5. “[This workforce] can't make up for these extreme staffing shortages. There's only so much they can do.”
Already, some of the agency’s services have been impacted. Last week, the NWS announced it would reduce or suspend the launch of weather balloons at eight local forecast offices across the West and Midwestern regions of the U.S. due to staffing shortages. The balloons collect data on wind speed and direction, humidity and air pressure to inform national forecasts.
NBC 5 reports that the National Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, where staffers are responsible for issuing tornado advisories nationally, currently has a nearly 20% employment vacancy rate. The investigation found that at least one probationary worker was fired earlier this month due to the mandated layoffs.
A FOX 4 investigation found that layoffs affected one Fort Worth NWS office technician, which forecasts for all of North and Central Texas. This left just two individuals to complete “dozens” of jobs daily. According to NBC 5, four out of 27 positions at the Fort Worth center are vacant, including two front-line meteorologist positions.
As a third round of staffing cuts approaches, it’s unclear when or if those positions will be filled.
“Anytime you lose people, you're going to have some impacts. All I can say is we're doing the best we can, and will the basic mission suffer? I don't think so. But people will be under a lot of additional stress, a lot of additional strain,” Murphy said. “For the tireless public servants that are keeping the train on the tracks, where is the light at the end of the tunnel for these people?”
