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NOAA was granted permission to fill critical positions at its
weather arm, including openings for meteorologists, hydrologists
and electronics technicians, Trump administration officials
said. The hirings are part of an exemption to a freeze on
federal hiring in place through at least Oct. 15.
NOAA declined to comment further.
The planned hiring was first reported by CNN.
The Department of Government Efficiency has gutted NOAA and the
National Weather Service, which are key for the nation's daily
weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, climate monitoring and
more. Hundreds of NOAA forecasters and other employees have been
cut, and NWS offices around the country have had a number of
vacancies.
The administration has also weighed ending the sharing of
satellite data that is key to effective storm tracking and
stopped tracking the cost of climate change-fueled weather
disasters.
Meteorologists and climate scientists have warned of
consequences with fewer workers in positions that are crucial,
especially as the hurricane season got underway. After deadly
flash flooding that killed dozens of people in Texas last month,
some local officials and Democrats suggested that the deep
staffing cuts may have contributed to endangering lives, though
others defended the agency's work.
Experts cautiously applauded the exemption for hirings as
positive news.
“While this new development is great news for the NWS and the
American public, I would like to see that the hiring actions are
actually underway,” said Louis Uccellini, former NOAA
administrator for weather services and NWS director.
The hirings are said to include the “mission-critical field
positions” that the agency announced it would hire for in June
“to further stabilize front line operations." The agency did not
say at the time how many roles would be filled.
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