Trump’s Cuts to the National Weather Service Weakened Tornado Forecasts

Washington, DC – Trump’s cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) may have weakened forecasts during severe storms this week, delaying critical tornado warnings for communities in Kansas City. On Monday, ahead of the storms, forecasting offices launched weather balloons hours later than normal, leaving a large area of the Great Plains without critical data for the forecast. Trump gutted NOAA and the National Weather Service, leaving forecasting offices understaffed and forcing staff to reduce weather balloon launches that are critical for accurate storm forecasts. Trump’s massive cuts have degraded our forecasting capabilities, delaying alerts and putting communities in danger during severe storms. 

Climate Power Communications Director Alex Glass issued the following statement: “When a tornado is coming, people need timely, accurate alerts, so they can take steps to protect themselves and their families. Trump’s cuts have put those alerts at risk, leaving communities less prepared and less safe during storms. With these cuts, Trump is essentially saying that if extreme weather hits, you’re on your own, because he does not care about the safety of your family.” 

Trump’s cuts have weakened our forecasts and put communities at risk: 

• Trump gutted the National Weather Service, leaving nearly half of the weather forecast offices critically understaffed and 30 of the 122 (24.5%) offices lacking a meteorologist-in-charge.
• Because of the Trump administration’s massive layoffs, NWS eliminated or reduced vital weather balloon launches, which degraded forecasts during previous storms.
• Four NWS offices in Kansas, California, and Kentucky no longer operate 24 hours per day, curtailing extreme weather warnings, while another four offices across the country planned to close overnight.
• In September 2025, current and former NWS staffers warned that the Trump administration’s cuts were pushing the agency to its breaking point.  Some forecasters at NWS were working double shifts to keep forecasting offices open, while others operated under a “buddy system” to help monitor severe weather in understaffed regions. 
• In September 2025, NWS staff reported that hundreds of positions at the agency remained open as the Atlantic hurricane season peaked and wildfires ramped up in the West. 
• At the start of the 2025-2026 winter weather season, NWS offices in more than half a dozen states still had vacancies for meteorologists, technical experts, and scientists. Some NWS offices had nearly half of the meteorologist roles vacant while the agency struggled to hire staff. 
• Due to Trump’s staffing and funding cuts, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the NWS did not adequately provide multilingual weather alerts, a significant issue since an estimated 26 million U.S. residents had limited English proficiency. 
• Trump and Republicans’ reconciliation bill included provisions that cut weather forecasting and research funding for programs that would have improved forecasting, monitoring, and public communication of hazardous weather.

• Trump fired and planned to cut about 2,300 workers at NOAA, including hurricane hunters and researchers at the National Severe Storm Laboratory, in addition to terminating some of the agency’s building leases.
• NOAA scientists said Trump’s cuts to the agency undermine critical hurricane forecasts.
• NOAA announced it would no longer track the number of climate disasters that cost over $1 billion, leaving insurance companies, researchers, and policymakers without key information to help understand major disaster weather patterns.