While two tropical storms are currently threatening the Southeast coast of the U.S. mainland, and the West Coast is in its traditional peak wildfire season, the National Weather Service is struggling to meet the most minimal forecasting requirements. Before President Donald Trump began his second term, the Weather Service was already dealing with 200 vacant positions. The downsizing mania and hiring freeze this spring resulted in the elimination of an additional 100 probationary workers, and another 500 workers who were forced out, took early retirement, or resigned.
Tom Fahy, the union legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, told reporters: “We have a strained and severely stretched situation. The Weather Service has a famously dedicated workforce, but workers can put in only so many long hours and extra shifts. There’s a breaking point.” A retired forecaster added: “They’re going to run out of gas. They’re going to start missing things. They can’t sustain that level of effort for much longer. You just can’t sprint a mile.” Many employees are forced to work double shifts, over weekends, and take more night shifts.
