For those who do not live in areas prone to tornadoes. You are unlikely to believe that this has a significant impact on you. However, Texans are keeping an eye on the changes taking place at the NOAA.
The NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This regulatory agency now performs multiple functions. Forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting seas, conducting deep-sea exploration, managing fishing, and protecting marine mammals and endangered species in the United States’ exclusive economic zone.
DOGE has recently made headlines for budget cuts to a number of government programs. The Department of Government Efficiency has worked hard to ensure that American taxpayers’ money is spent correctly. Currently, DOGE claims to have saved 65 billion dollars in American spending. This is the result of a combination of fraud detection and deletion, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings.
Every day, it appears that DOGE is making headlines for spending money that they can cut. The most recent cut making headlines this morning is to the NOAA. The NOAA fired approximately 800 employees last night. Tornado season will pick up in this part of the country over the next few months. Just this week, they predicted an event in East Texas that will extend into Louisiana.
Timothy Gallaudet, a former Navy officer and oceanographer who served as acting administrator of NOAA during the first Trump administration, warned that weakening NOAA could have “national security and economic consequences that appear to contradict the administration’s current priorities.” The risks include disruptions to weather operations, marine shipping safety, and military operations.
DOGE Has Not Released a Statement on NOAA Cuts
Usually, when DOGE makes a significant move like this, an announcement is made on the X page. As of now, they have not explained why at least 800 employees were fired. Hopefully, the remaining employees can still provide us with accurate models for the upcoming severe weather season.
