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Did the staff cuts at National Weather Service have anything to do with the tragedy in Texas?

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WisconIndependent

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apnews.com

Hundreds of weather forecasters fired in latest wave of DOGE cuts

Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the U.S.
apnews.com apnews.com
Doge cutting 10% of the National Weather Service staff have anything to do with the tragedy in Texas along with the way Texas handled the problem?
 
I honestly don't think it likely did. The water rose so darn fast and at unexpected levels. We may find out differently but from what I have heard reported it sounds as if the failures were mostly at the State and local level. Having said that, every single natural disaster is going to come under incredible scrutiny and I suspect hurricane season may tell a different story. The weather services involved with hurricane was especially hard hit by Doge.
 
The NWS put out warnings well ahead of the flooding. People worked extra shifts and covered for gaps in staffing to get the forecast as best they could.

The local area seems to have lacked the capacity to warn residents.

🤷‍♀️
 
I don’t think it did. The cuts will have impacts but these things take a year or two to become obvious. In this particular event, NWS met or exceeded its targets.
 

Did the staff cuts at National Weather Service have anything to do with the tragedy in Texas?​


No, it was Biden and the dems' fault.
 
BirdinHand said:
The NWS put out warnings well ahead of the flooding. People worked extra shifts and covered for gaps in staffing to get the forecast as best they could.

The local area seems to have lacked the capacity to warn residents.

🤷‍♀️
Click to expand...

Yes. And some of the local residents including a camp operator didn't take the initiative to keep themselves informed on a rapidly deteriorating situation.

I can't imagine a camp with 750 children in residency and everybody is asleep. Bad weather incoming or not, someone should be alert, in charge, and responsible at all times.
 
WisconIndependent said:
apnews.com

Hundreds of weather forecasters fired in latest wave of DOGE cuts

Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the U.S.
apnews.com apnews.com
Doge cutting 10% of the National Weather Service staff have anything to do with the tragedy in Texas along with the way Texas handled the problem?
Click to expand...
I doubt it but I do think Musk's slash and burn approach increased stresses on already stressed agencies. We should use this event to re-evaluate the conditions of the agencies that are set up to help us, at all levels.
 
phoenix2020 said:
I don’t think it did. The cuts will have impacts but these things take a year or two to become obvious. In this particular event, NWS met or exceeded its targets.
Click to expand...
Meteorologists are some of the most passionate about their job type people I’ve known…they’ll do everything they CAN with the tools they have to warn people of severe weather. I have two friends whose husbands work for the NWS. They’re understaffed and running on caffeine and determination…but they’re doing their best.

The NWS is already issuing flash flood alerts for my part of the country for tonight because of the rain incoming from Chantal this evening.

The NWS really does try to do their very best.
 
lynnwinslow said:
I doubt it but I do think Musk's slash and burn approach increased stresses on already stressed agencies. We should use this event to re-evaluate the conditions of the agencies that are set up to help us, at all levels.
Click to expand...
I feel differently. Now that Trump has weaponized the federal government to attack states, I think we should deprive him of that power by cutting as much federal apparatus as possible and returning the monies to the states. I live in a state can afford to stand up its own alternatives and I’d rather do that than fund a NOAA or FEMA that cuts me out of their services because Donald is having a tantrum.
 
BirdinHand said:
Meteorologists are some of the most passionate about their job type people I’ve known…they’ll do everything they CAN with the tools they have to warn people of severe weather. I have two friends whose husbands work for the NWS. They’re understaffed and running on caffeine and determination…but they’re doing their best.

The NWS is already issuing flash flood alerts for my part of the country for tonight because of the rain incoming from Chantal this evening.

The NWS really does try to do their very best.
Click to expand...
I agree. It’s a terrific agency. Unfortunately it’s only a matter of time before Donald looks for ways to degrade NWS work products to blue states. You and I both know this is coming. I’d rather see the agency killed than have it weaponized against me while still being stuck with the bill.
 
I think this one is in Texas. There was a story on Yahoo last night about a GOP congressman regretting not voting for a bill that would have help fund better warning systems. Due to his MAGA stupidity.
Texans should hold their local MAGA assholes accountable, but they won’t.

Future disasters will be Trump and Musks fault as the cuts they made further degrade the agencies.
 
phoenix2020 said:
I agree. It’s a terrific agency. Unfortunately it’s only a matter of time before Donald looks for ways to degrade NWS work products to blue states. You and I both know this is coming. I’d rather see the agency killed than have it weaponized against me while still being stuck with the bill.
Click to expand...
I really hope they realize shutting the data off from those satellites would be very bad and the “pause” turns into scrapping that plan.
 
KingLeo said:
How could it not have had an effect?

FEMA losing roughly 20% of permanent staff, including longtime leaders, ahead of hurricane season​

Click to expand...

Because not every individual is effective, and not every individual performs to their maximum capacity.

As example, in the Army I sometimes had 12 or more in my section, but other times had only 6 or 7. The mission didn't change and it was still accomplished to standard.
 
KingLeo said:
How could it not have had an effect?
Click to expand...
From what I've read, and I may be wrong, it is possible that specifically cuts at NWS did not make this situation so disastrous.

AFAIK NWS was making much more moderate predictions until fairly shortly before the storm really hit. I don't think they would have predicted 30 foot high storm surges even if they were fully staffed.

I suspect there are two more substantial issues.

1) Despite Abbott proclaiming just a few weeks ago that "Texas is ready" for disasters, they weren't ready.

2) Trump / Musk / DOGE / Noem gleefully gutted FEMA. The federal government as allegedly "activated" FEMA, but what the f*** does that even mean, given that they are on the verge of eliminating it? :rolleyes:

We should note that time is of the essence for finding and rescuing survivors... and the lack of genuine federal assistance means they're going to run out of time.

Even if NWS did its job properly this time, it's inevitable that service will degrade, that their predictive accuracy will decline, and people will be harmed or killed because Republicans gutted it.

Sadly, MAGA will never hold any Trumpies or Republicans accountable for their failures. Meaning it's going to keep happening, and they won't try to stop it happening again. 🤮
 
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WisconIndependent said:
apnews.com

Hundreds of weather forecasters fired in latest wave of DOGE cuts

Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the U.S.
apnews.com apnews.com
Doge cutting 10% of the National Weather Service staff have anything to do with the tragedy in Texas along with the way Texas handled the problem?
Click to expand...

Yes. All the Trump actions regarding the Weather Service have had an effect.

We warned that it would make storms more deadly. We were told that we were fear mongers by the MAGA Fanboys.
 
RF667799 said:
Because not every individual is effective, and not every individual performs to their maximum capacity.

As example, in the Army I sometimes had 12 or more in my section, but other times had only 6 or 7. The mission didn't change and it was still accomplished to standard.
Click to expand...
A generalization on your part with not knowing where those 20% cuts of permanent staff at FEMA were.
 
RF667799 said:
Yes. And some of the local residents including a camp operator didn't take the initiative to keep themselves informed on a rapidly deteriorating situation.
Click to expand...
On the other hand...

apnews.com

Quick action by one Texas summer camp leads to timely evacuations ahead of deadly flood

One local summer camp in the path of the disastrous flooding in central Texas was able to avoid any loss of life by closely monitoring weather reports.
apnews.com apnews.com

"It was about 1 a.m. on the Fourth of July when the facilities manager at a central Texas summer camp saw water from the Guadalupe River steadily rising amid a deluge of rain.

Aroldo Barrera notified his boss, who had been monitoring reports of the storms approaching Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly, a recreation destination where an intercultural youth conference had been called off early just hours earlier.

Despite an absence of warning by local authorities, camp officials acted quickly on their own, relocating about 70 children and adults staying overnight in a building near the river. With the kids safe, camp leaders including President and CEO Tim Huchton were able to avoid the catastrophe that hit at least one other camp near Hunt, where the 500-acre Mo-Ranch is located."


With a name like "Aroldo Barrera" and I am sure naturally brown skin, it's a good thing this hero wasn't scooped up by ICE and shipped off to Sudan before he was experienced enough to know what was coming, and what needed to be done.
 

Did the staff cuts at National Weather Service have anything to do with the tragedy in Texas?​

No.

The weather service had plenty of people on duty.

The tragedy was caused by other, local, factors...not much of an early warning system, people ignoring the warnings that were sent out, etc.
 
phoenix2020 said:
I feel differently. Now that Trump has weaponized the federal government to attack states, I think we should deprive him of that power by cutting as much federal apparatus as possible and returning the monies to the states. I live in a state can afford to stand up its own alternatives and I’d rather do that than fund a NOAA or FEMA that cuts me out of their services because Donald is having a tantrum.
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If only you had read and appreciated the Constitution you would have been on the states rights train long ago. Your TDS got you to the right place, so there is a benefit to it after all.
 
I think it did. How much i cant honestly say but nothing goes with out consequences. Just how life works.
This was also on a local level as well. Residents didnt want to pay higher taxes for a warning system.
The camp had a no device policy which is stupid. ( not for the kids but you need something for like this).
There has been one other flood in 87. Thats enough to have some type of system in place.
 
Fletch said:
If only you had read and appreciated the Constitution you would have been on the states rights train long ago. Your TDS got you to the right place, so there is a benefit to it after all.
Click to expand...
Yeah this isnt reality fletch. States lost when Jefferson lost to Hamilton.
 
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