The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced plans to hire additional personnel for crucial field positions. This initiative comes amid significant concern from experts about the sharp reductions in the National Weather Service’s (NWS) staffing levels, especially as hurricane season looms. According to a spokesperson from the agency, these positions will be temporarily exempt from the federal government’s extensive hiring freeze to support essential operations at the front lines. Additionally, NOAA is addressing some field office vacancies by reassigning existing staff, which includes temporary hires.
Specific details about the number of jobs to be filled have not been disclosed by NOAA. Earlier this year, the organization experienced major staffing reductions due to cuts enacted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. These cuts, impacting both NOAA and NWS—which provide critical services like daily weather forecasts and severe storm alerts—resulted in hundreds of forecasters being released while other staff faced probationary status. Further reductions led to over 1,000 additional cuts. By April, many NWS forecast offices were left with 20% or more of their positions unfilled. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also experienced similar impacts.
The decision to hire more staff is seen by scientists as urgently needed because NOAA forecasts an active hurricane season along with increased tornado occurrences. In recent times, climate change, exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions, has led to more frequent and intense storms. The fundamental mission of the weather service is to provide timely warnings to individuals in danger, allowing them to evacuate or seek shelter. Staffing cuts have, however, forced some briefing offices to cut back their operating hours or cease overnight shifts during periods deemed less critical.
Industry insiders and experts have emphasized the potential repercussions a staffing deficit could have on weather prediction accuracy in the face of extreme conditions and its broader economic impacts. According to Marc Alessi, a science fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists, NOAA delivered some of the most precise weather forecasts in 2024, made possible through adequate funding. Alessi criticized the administration’s approach, stating, “Despite the worsening climate and extreme weather impacts being felt across the country, the administration has proceeded with an agenda that risks leaving people vulnerable to disasters.”