'People will suffer': Hundreds of workers responsible for weather forecasts fired — again
Meteorologist in Work Area in Doppler Radar Station with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA National Weather Service. Ruskin ,Florida ,Tampa Hillsborough County in July 2023 (Image: Shutterstock)
Several hundred federal workers who were reinstated in their roles after being fired in the early days of President Donald Trump's administration have now just been fired yet again.
The Guardian reported Thursday that approximately 800 workers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been at the whim of a "rollercoaster" of court rulings in recent months, which culminated in today's firings. Initially, after South African centibillionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fired thousands of "probationary" workers (who have been in their roles for a year or less), a court order handed down in March ordered that they be hired back. But earlier this week, the Supreme Court reversed that order, and those workers were once again out of a job.
“Well after about 3 weeks of reinstatement, I, along with other probationary employees at NOAA, officially got 're-fired' today,” tweeted Dr Andy Hazelton, who was a hurricane modeling scientist at the agency. “What a wild and silly process this has been.”
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The firing of the NOAA workers comes just months before the official start of hurricane season, which usually begins on June 1 each year. The agency's forecasting experts are a critical tool for the administrations of hurricane-prone states as they make preparations to evacuate residents in the event of a major storm.
And aside from hurricane season, NOAA also assists with weather mapping that helps track thunderstorm patterns and alert Americans to potential tornadoes during the spring months. In an interview with the Guardian, Hazelton said that while remaining staff will do their best despite the cuts, the significant reduction in staffing will make their jobs more difficult.
“It’s going to create problems across the board,” Hazelton told the outlet. “It may be a slow process but the forecasts are going to suffer and as a result people will suffer.”
The loss of staffing at NOAA could also be felt beyond the United States' borders. According to the Guardian, other countries rely on findings from NOAA's scientists, satellites and intelligence. The agency has information-sharing agreements with countries in the Caribbean region, which can help local governments better prepare for disasters in the event of a major hurricane in the area.
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Click here to read the Guardian's full article.
