Hundreds of federal NOAA employees – including weather forecasters – fired in DOGE cuts
Hundreds of federal NOAA employees – including weather forecasters – fired in DOGE cuts
FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Hundreds of federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees, including weather forecasters, were fired Thursday as part of DOGE cuts.
One of NOAA’s branches is the National Weather Service (NWS), and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is a division of the NWS.
RELATED: DOGE cuts outlined in new Trump executive order: See the list
What they're saying:
"I’m somebody that’s been critical of a lot of federal agencies over the years, I think you could say. And well-deserved," Governor Ron DeSantis said on Friday. "But I will say, I think that the National Hurricane Center down here in Miami has done an admirable job."
DeSantis applauded the work of NOAA forecasters on Friday, especially for their efforts during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Pictured: Governor Ron DeSantis.
"So that's helpful. I mean, as a leader who's got to manage this stuff, when you have a Category 4, Category 5 hurricane out there, you've got to make decisions," DeSantis added.
Dig deeper:
During storms, local emergency leaders make decisions on evacuations, for example, using expertise from NOAA forecasters, retired NWS meteorologist Daniel Noah told FOX 13.
"The National Weather Service is staffed for fair weather, which means we already had a limited staff. And when we had hazardous weather like hurricanes coming toward us, we would all have to work overtime," Noah said. "So, if we reduce the staff any further, it makes me a little nervous for this year's hurricane season."
The other side:
In a statement, an NWS spokesperson said, "Per long-standing practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management matters. NOAA remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience. We continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission."
"There's going to be a lot of unintended consequences," Noah said. "There’s just going to be a little bit of chaos."
READ: Fired federal employees search for work but struggle to replace their old jobs
Meanwhile, DeSantis said Friday he’s a "big supporter" of the DOGE effort, which is behind these cuts, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) works to shrink a federal workforce that President Donald Trump has called "bloated and sloppy."
"There's certain legal authorities – whether you're probation or not – and I think that they kind of started broad," DeSantis said. "But, I think you're going to see it be okay with the National Hurricane Center. I really do."
By the numbers:
According to the Associated Press, these cuts represent about 10% of NOAA’s workforce and include about 375 probationary NWS employees.
"If we have a lack of people, that means we're just going to be maintaining the forecast and warnings. That we're not going to be getting out of the office. We work with cities and counties and recognize them as ‘storm ready’ if they go through certain hoops. And that just increases the safety of the people that live in that community. We won't be able to do that as much or at all," Noah said. "And there are many other programs, like we create hurricane exercises that look real with real products. Those are going to be trimmed down a lot if this happens."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered using statements from the National Weather Service, Governor Ron DeSantis and a retired NWS meteorologist. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
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