Ron Filipkowski - We Make NO APOLOGIES For Being 1st to Connect NWS Cuts & Texas Tragedy

[hatrack]

3. Here you go . . .

EDIT

In Flavelle’s article “As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas”, published a few minutes ago, he writes:

Texas officials appeared to blame the Weather Service for issuing forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated how much rain was coming. But former Weather Service officials said the forecasts were as good as could be expected.... The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem, those former officials said — the loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after flash flood warnings were issued overnight.

Flavelle lists several Weather Service positions that are vacant in that part of Texas, including meteorologist in charge, senior hydrologist, staff forecaster, science officer, and warning coordination meteorologist.

That’s right. There was no meteorologist in charge. And there was no warning coordination meteorologist to liaise with county and state officials. The warning job became vacant on April 30 because the person who held it took the early retirement package that Trump and DOGE offered to federal workers in lieu of being fired later. And the Trump administration did not hire a replacement.

EDIT/END

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/7/5/2327621/-Trump-administration-s-cuts-to-the-National-Weather-Service-contributed-to-the-Texas-flood-disaster?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web