Proposed NWS Funding Cuts Potentially Dangerous
Editor’s note: the word limit for this letter has been waived for clarity and integrity of the letter.
A budget resolution recently approved by the House and now moving to the Senate proposes to cut funding of the National Weather Service by almost 30 percent. That’s $126 million. Now let me be clear, our country is in the middle of a very serious debt crisis, and every person, organization and program must cut back in order to resolve this, including the NWS. However, a cut of this magnitude is far too extreme and may have very serious consequences that that will affect all of our daily lives.
Dealing with these massive cuts could take on several forms. Rolling closures of NWS Forecast Offices have been proposed, which would force nearby offices to cover much larger areas with reduced staff on top of an already massive number of responsibilities. If an on-site radar at a closed office goes down during a severe weather outbreak, it may take hours for technicians to reach the site. Thousands of lives could be put at risk as forecasters may not be able to see a developing tornado and issue a warning.
According to the NWS Employees Organization, weather balloon launches that collect information about the upper atmosphere may be cut in half or more, and maintenance for surface observation stations and buoys could be suspended. This would likely result in a significant decrease in the accuracy of the computer models that are essential for forecasting, as these models rely heavily on observational data.
The National Hurricane Center could also be affected. While not all of these cuts are likely to be made, any combination of them could set the entire field of meteorology back by years, even a decade or more.
Think you’ll avoid this mess by turning to television meteorologists and private meteorology companies for your weather information? Wrong. These groups use the same computer models as the NWS does to create their forecasts. The bottom line: the accuracy of forecasts across the country will likely decrease, and it will be harder for the NWS to issue warnings with enough lead-time to fulfill their mission of protecting life and property.
North Carolina ranks first in the nation for the greatest percentage of tornado deaths occurring at night. Our state faces threats from hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and ice storms. We cannot risk compromising the accuracy of our forecasts or the lead-time of warnings that could save lives. NWS funding cuts of this magnitude must not be allowed to pass. I would strongly encourage everyone to contact your senators and oppose this proposition. To our elected officials: redistribute some of these cuts to other organizations, foreign aid or new spending projects. Do not cripple the agency charged with protecting both you and me from the dangers of Mother Nature.
Kevin Smith
senior, meteorology
