Staff Cuts, Scant Funds, Failed Forecast: Trump's National Weather Service Behind Texas Floods? | 4K

Several key positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were vacant, as unprecedented rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on July 4, prompting some experts to question whether staffing shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with local emergency managers as floodwaters rose. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which houses NWS, lost hundreds of staffers to Trump administration cuts. The Austin/San Antonio Weather Service office’s warning coordination meteorologist, who organizes alerting the outside world about agency forecasts, took a Trump administration buyout in April. As the death toll from the floods crosses 100, it has spurred questions about the preparedness of federal agencies. n18oc_world n18oc_crux

World