Why the Weather Service is playing catch-up before storm season

The National Weather Service is still rebuilding after major job cuts last year, just as tornado and hurricane season approaches. One forecasting hub in Oklahoma currently has five empty positions, and other offices are losing staff temporarily because experts are being reassigned to cover the World Cup games this summer. The agency, which relies on over 2, 500 meteorologists and hydrologists, lost around 15% of its workforce in 2024 due to layoffs and retirements. Without enough trained eyes on the data, some worry the agency might struggle to issue timely warnings for dangerous weather.Officials have hired more than 200 new staff in recent months, but internal records show the agency still has about 300 fewer meteorologists than it did at the end of last year. The head of the agency’s parent organization recently told lawmakers that another 206 job offers have been sent out, but hiring takes time. Meanwhile, remaining employees are stretched thin trying to cover shifts and warnings. The agency’s director admitted in January that a planned restructuring could help, but changes take time to implement. Experts outside the agency say gaps in staffing could delay critical alerts during severe weather. Television and app forecasts depend on the Weather Service’s data, so fewer experts means slower updates. Some question whether the agency can bounce back in time for storm season, which kicks off next month. Others argue that relying on temporary reassignments for big events like the World Cup only makes the problem worse.