Under Donald Trump, the National Weather Service lost nearly 600 staff, and San Angelo and San Antonio offices were short-staffed during tragic Texas floods

Over the weekend, as deadly flash floods hit Central Texas, the New York Times reported that critical positions in Central Texas offices of the National Weather Service went unfilled after Donald Trump and Elon Musk oversaw cuts of nearly 600 National Weather Service staff and have since refused to backfill key roles.

Former National Weather Service officials say that the loss of experienced staff may have hampered communication with local authorities in the hours after flash flood warnings were issued overnight, likely contributing to preventable deaths and worsened devastation. 

In response to the Trump administration cutting critical National Weather Service staff against the advice of experts, potentially leading to more tragedy and deaths, DNC Chair Ken Martin issued the following statement:

“This is an unimaginable tragedy. We pray for every family suffering from the devastating flash floods in Central Texas. We pray for those still unaccounted for, mourn the lives lost, and thank the brave first responders and personnel still diligently leading the rescue efforts. And I’m personally praying that Donald Trump finally understands this is not a game — it’s real life and there are serious consequences to playing politics with our security and emergency preparedness. He was warned this could happen, he was told in clear terms that his weather service cuts could lead to needless deaths, and he didn’t care. As Donald Trump continues to ignore experts and gut our critical safety services, he is putting Americans everywhere in danger. He is spending his time in office trying to score political points at the expense of the safety of people across this country, and that is as unacceptable as it is disgusting.”

Staffing shortages at the National Weather Service’s San Angelo and San Antonio offices doubled under the Trump administration.

New York Times: “The National Weather Service’s San Angelo office, which is responsible for some of the areas hit hardest by Friday’s flooding, was missing a senior hydrologist, staff forecaster and meteorologist in charge, according to Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union that represents Weather Service workers.

“The Weather Service’s nearby San Antonio office, which covers other areas hit by the floods, also had significant vacancies, including a warning coordination meteorologist and science officer, Mr. Fahy said. Staff members in those positions are meant to work with local emergency managers to plan for floods, including when and how to warn local residents and help them evacuate. …

“[A]t both offices, the vacancy rate is roughly double what it was when Mr. Trump returned to the White House in January, according to Mr. Fahy.”

Experts blame unfilled positions and a lack of communication between the National Weather Service and local officials for jeopardizing Kerr County’s ability to manage the crisis.

New York Times: “John Sokich, who until January was director of congressional affairs for the National Weather Service, said those unfilled positions made it harder to coordinate with local officials because each Weather Service office works as a team. ‘Reduced staffing puts that in jeopardy,’ he said. … 

“That night, Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, appeared to fault the Weather Service, noting that forecasters on Wednesday had predicted as much as six to eight inches of rain in the region. ‘The amount of rain that fell in this specific location was never in any of those forecasts,’ he said at a news conference with Gov. Greg Abbott. … 

“‘You have to have a response mechanism that involves local officials,’ Dr. Uccellini said. ‘It involves a relationship with the emergency management community, at every level.’ But that requires having staff members in those positions, he said.”

Trump’s DOGE efforts gutted the National Weather Service, potentially hampering the response to this tragedy and leading to preventable deaths.

New York Times: “But the Trump administration’s pursuit of fewer staff members means remaining employees have less time to spend coordinating with local officials, he said.

“The Trump administration has also put strict limits on new hires at the Weather Service, Mr. Sokich said. So unlike during previous administrations, when these vacancies could have quickly been filled, the agency now has fewer options.

“The Trump administration also froze spending on travel, he added, making it even harder for Weather Service staff members to meet with their state and local counterparts.”