As part of a large-scale effort to reduce federal spending, the Trump Administration and its Department of Government Efficiency have targeted numerous agencies for budget cuts and staff reductions — including the National Weather Service [NWS] and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA].
In Central Illinois, Lincoln houses the local NWS site. So far, it's unclear if the facility is going to face cuts.
Employees at the organization said they could not comment on the staffing situation. In an email to WGLT, a spokesperson with NWS Public Affairs said the agency has a long-standing practice of not discussing internal personnel and management matters.
The spokesperson added, “NOAA remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience.”
'We're all touched by the National Weather Service'
Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist based at the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute, said even national cuts will likely have wide-ranging detrimental effects, limiting the ability to inform the public about threats from severe and high-impact weather.
“Whether you're a farmer, whether you are a backyard gardener or water manager, no matter who it is, we're all touched by the National Weather Service,” Ford told WGLT. “That's just obvious by living any year in the central Illinois area and going through warnings and advisory periods of extreme weather.
Ford said his office works with NOAA and the NWS frequently and relies on the agencies' data to address issues such as drought conditions and other climate-related problems.
“We depend — and frankly, we take for granted — the fact that we're going to get accurate and timely information about potential high-impact weather," Ford said. "They are not only the front line, but pretty much the whole kit and caboodle when it comes to weather information and keeping us safe from extreme weather.”
Ford said the NWS is much more than "models and the forecast and the data" and he thinks that kind of outlook "does a tremendous disservice to the people working there.
“Those National Weather Service scientists are constantly communicating with stakeholders all across the region," he said. "It's an invaluable asset, and it's really, really unfortunate to see what's going on right now.”
The arrival of meteorological spring at the start of March and the observance of Severe Weather Preparedness Week bring more attention to the timing of the cutbacks.
Sorensen calls cuts 'reckless'
U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, issued a statement last week calling the NOAA and NWS cuts “reckless” and saying they would put lives at risk.
“As a meteorologist for more than two decades, I depended on their work to provide accurate, life-saving weather reports for my neighbors,” said Sorensen, whose 17th District includes parts of Peoria and Bloomington-Normal.
“The greatest validation in my work was when people would tell me they stayed safe because of the information I gave them," Sorensen said. "Elon Musk doesn’t understand that weather forecasting is a public service that every American deserves and that gutting these agencies will do irreparable harm.”
A representative from Sorensen’s office said they know of at least six individuals who were let go from the NWS office in the Quad Cities. They did not provide any information about the Lincoln office.
Potential further impacts
Ford said it’s hard to predict exactly the effects NWS staff reductions may have, but there most certainly will be impacts.
“The fact is that just like any workplace with fewer people, it doesn't mean that they're going to have fewer tasks,” said Ford. “And it certainly doesn't mean that the weather and extreme weather and things like climate change are going to stop. I mean, the weather really doesn't care how many people are staffing our National Weather Service offices; it's still going to happen.”
Ford notes that the NWS is especially important during significant complex weather events — from tornadoes, derechos and hailstorms to heavy rainfall, heat waves and droughts.
“We've had all of those kinds of hazards at different times in the year, and sometimes compounded,” he said. “So one potential impact is that with all of those things going on, it makes it hard for those offices to prioritize. So overall, the kinds of impacts, the things that we could see are disruptions in the quality and the timeliness of that information.”
Ford said the National Weather Service is already a model of efficiency, costing the average Illinois taxpayer only $4 per year. He said the federal cuts go beyond just NOAA and the NWS.
“It’s hard to understand to what end the cuts are made,” he said. “Before, we saw cuts to the USDA [Department of Agriculture] and Midwest Climate Hub, which works a lot with farmers and making sure that farmers can adapt to changing climate."
Trent said the bottom line is that what's happending with NWS, NOAA and "many other federal agencies is really concerning.”
