WASHINGTON, DC – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is leading Senate colleagues in sounding the alarm about President Trump’s attacks on the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) and urging bipartisan action to protect the critical agency from privatization.  

Every day, NOAA employees collect, analyze, and freely disseminate vast amounts of data through its National Weather Service – vital information all Americans count on.  American commerce – particularly the transportation sector – relies heavily on federal weather forecasts, flooding predictions, hurricane and storm alerts, air temperature readings, nautical charts, and other scientific data.  The research, services, and forecasts provided by these federal agencies is essential for everything from accurately predicting the next severe weather front to supporting farmers and fishermen to scientifically assessing the long-term costs of extreme weather events linked to climate change.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Senator Reed led U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ed Markey (D-MA) in pointing to a new public letter released this week by five former Weather Service directors. The Senators say it offers an early warning on how the Trump Administration’s cuts to staff and programs could lead to “needless loss of life.”

“On May 2, five former NWS Directors – who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations – wrote a letter expressing alarm that the NWS is operating at a dangerous staffing deficit, with more than 10% of its workforce lost in recent months due to the Trump Administration’s reckless buyouts and mass firings,” the Senators wrote.  “These massive staffing cuts, combined with the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding for the NWS’s parent agency – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – by 25%, led these Directors to conclude that their “worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life.””

In his preliminary budget request, President Trump called for a $1.5 billion cut to NOAA programs, including a $209 million cut for NOAA’s weather satellites which help to ensure accurate weather forecasting is available to Americans. 

In their letter, the five Senators called on Secretary Lutnick to “reverse course on the Trump Administration’s staffing and funding cuts, which will prevent the National Weather Service (NWS) from being fully prepared and operational.”

According to NWS, its employees collect over six billion weather observations every day, monitor local conditions through a host of field offices across the nation, issue daily forecasts, and circulate warnings before dangerous weather events. NWS provides the public with forecasts and alerts free of charge. Private companies like AccuWeather, Google, and Apple also rely on NOAA’s observational data and satellites, buoys, and weather sensors to power their own weather products.

The Senators say that President Trump’s proposed cuts, paired with the administration’s efforts to significantly downsize NOAA and NWS, is already upending the agency’s ability to promptly alert and prepare Americans for imminent and dangerous severe weather events.

“Forecasters at Colorado State University have predicted an “above-average” 2025 hurricane season, with an estimated nine hurricanes, four of which are expected to reach Category 3 status or stronger,” the Senators continued.  “Understaffed forecast offices mean longer wait times for critical alerts, slower radar maintenance, and a reduction in the high level of accuracy the public has come to rely upon. Any degradation in service risks loss of life, economic disruption, and long-term damage to public trust in our nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to extreme weather.”

Earlier this year, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) either fired or pushed out more than 10 percent of NOAA’s workforce, including top meteorologists and researchers who are charged with providing the public with accurate, life-saving weather reports and data. The Administration is reportedly working on further diminishing NOAA’s workforce by another 10 percent.

According to data obtained by the Associated Press, nearly half of all NWS forecast offices are now critically understaffed. Due to these shortages, NWS meteorologists are reportedly being forced to forego important surveys of storm damage that help inform and improve future forecasts and warnings.

While researchers, scientists, and experts point to a connection between climate change and worsening extreme storms, the Trump Administration is reportedly planning to propose eliminating NOAA’s research office and cutting NOAA research funding by 74 percent. It is anticipated that cuts to NOAA climate programs and activities will also have impacts on the collection of key weather data.  

In March, Senator Reed called attention to the Trump Administration’s staffing cuts at NOAA and NWS and warned about negative impacts for Rhode Islanders. And last fall, Senator Reed sounded the alarm about Project 2025’s extremist plan to dismantle NOAA, which it labelled “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry.”  Reed warned plans to gut the National Weather Service and emergency management would be a major disaster.

Full text of the letter follows:

May 8, 2025

The Honorable Howard Lutnick, Secretary

U.S. Department of Commerce

1401 Constitution Ave NW

Washington, D.C. 20230

Dear Secretary Lutnick:

As we approach the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1, we write to demand you reverse course on the Trump Administration’s staffing and funding cuts, which will prevent the National Weather Service (NWS) from being fully prepared and operational.

The NWS and its employees play a critical role in protecting lives, property, and our national economy. From issuing tornado and hurricane warnings to providing essential weather information for aviation, shipping, agriculture, and emergency response, the NWS is integral to Americans’ daily lives. Its employees include highly trained meteorologists, technicians, and support staff who work hard to deliver life-saving data all across the United States.

On May 2, five former NWS Directors – who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations – wrote a letter expressing alarm that the NWS is operating at a dangerous staffing deficit, with more than 10% of its workforce lost in recent months due to the Trump Administration’s reckless buyouts and mass firings. These massive staffing cuts, combined with the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding for the NWS’s parent agency – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – by 25%, led these Directors to conclude that their “worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life.”

Forecasters at Colorado State University have predicted an “above-average” 2025 hurricane season, with an estimated nine hurricanes, four of which are expected to reach Category 3 status or stronger. Understaffed forecast offices mean longer wait times for critical alerts, slower radar maintenance, and a reduction in the high level of accuracy the public has come to rely upon. Any degradation in service risks loss of life, economic disruption, and long-term damage to public trust in our nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to extreme weather.

We urge you to provide a detailed plan on how you will ensure that this critical agency has the staffing and resources it needs to ensure Americans are safe heading into this hurricane season. We look forward to your prompt response to this important matter.

Sincerely,