"After deep cuts last year, the agency is hiring hundreds. But fears linger that it isn’t equipped for imminent tornado and hurricane threats."
"The National Weather Service is struggling to recover from last year’s deep staff cuts, raising doubts among some meteorologists about whether the agency is ready for severe storms or hurricane season, which starts next month.
One key facility in Oklahoma that leads tornado forecasting and warnings has an unusual five open positions, its website shows. Others around the country will lose meteorologists temporarily as officials shuffle them to cities that will host World Cup soccer games in June and July, according to an internal email reviewed by The New York Times.
The agency’s roster of more than 2,500 scientists shrank by about 15 percent last year through firings and early retirements. The Weather Service’s data and expertise forms the backbone for all kinds of forecasts, including those shared by television meteorologists and smartphone apps.
The government has been trying to hire back to reverse the damage. In the last six months, officials have hired more than 200 meteorologists and hydrologists — scientists responsible for issuing forecasts and warnings of imminent tornadoes, floods and other severe weather. Neil Jacobs, the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the Weather Service, told a House committee this week that the agency had recently extended job orders to another 206 potential new staffers."
Scott Dance, Judson Jones and Amy Graff report for the New York Times May 6, 2026.
