As tornado season ravages the Midwest and South, a contingent of Republican tornado belt lawmakers say they’re working to ensure their storm-prone constituencies have the forecasts they need during severe weather events.
President Donald Trump made cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ahead of what’s shaping up to be the U.S.’s most active tornado season in over a decade, and is gunning for even deeper cuts at the agency. The National Weather Service, a part of NOAA that predicts and tracks storms, was already short-staffed before Trump took office; after sweeping layoffs, nearly half of the agency’s field offices are “critically understaffed.” Experts and former employees say the cuts could hinder storm preparedness and delay warnings.
Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican, told NOTUS he’s gathering information to “put forth a reasonable request based on facts to the administration” regarding cuts to the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which also tracks weather patterns.