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hatrack

(62,429 posts)
Sat May 10, 2025, 09:52 AM Saturday

Gosh, That's Too Bad, Florida: Cuts To NOAA Mean Firing Miami-Based Hurricane Scientists And Climate Researchers

Oh well.

Hurricane and climate researchers in Miami were hit in the latest wave of cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.The mass layoffs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — more than 600, according to the former agency head — include at least one high-profile meteorologist in Miami and another charged with integrating artificial intelligence into climate and weather predictions.

“Every office in NOAA was hit by these indiscriminate, misguided, ill-intentioned reforms,” said Rick Spinrad, former director of NOAA under President Joe Biden, in a press conference Friday afternoon.Spinrad said the cuts, especially of researchers who collect data that feeds into storm models, could erode the quality of hurricane forecasts going forward. “It’s not clear the planes will be able to fly and the ships will be able to go to sea, certainly not at the tempo we saw before,” he said.

“The quality of the forecast is likely to go down to some degree.”On Thursday afternoon, some NOAA staffers began posting on social media that they got “the email” and lost their jobs as part of President Donald Trump’s bid to slash staffing in the federal government. Andrew Hazelton, an assistant scientist with the Miami-based Hurricane Research Division, was among them.“I don’t want to make any comments other than I am exploring legal options in a couple of avenues,” he posted on X.Another weather researcher, Zach Lane, also posted on X that he lost his job helping NOAA perfect the use of AI and machine learning in climate and weather predictions.

“After nearly two weeks of overwhelming uncertainty, today it happened. I was fired from my dream of working at NOAA. I’m so sorry to everyone also affected,” he posted. Two sources who were familiar with the matter confirmed another researcher in the Keys National Marine Sanctuary is also leaving, after the longtime scientist took the buyout offered by Musk’s DOGE agency earlier this month. The true scope of the cuts was unclear Friday afternoon.

EDIT

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article301177914.html#storylink=cpy

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Gosh, That's Too Bad, Florida: Cuts To NOAA Mean Firing Miami-Based Hurricane Scientists And Climate Researchers (Original Post) hatrack Saturday OP
People will die. Historic NY Saturday #1
But I'm sure they'll say "it's Biden's fault" and most magas will just eat it up. CincyDem Saturday #3
That's OK, Florida, you don't need NOAA Walleye Saturday #2
Der Santis will blow it away.. Historic NY Saturday #4
Same in Texas SARose Saturday #5
Wow! No warning and no FEMA. FAFO. Buddyzbuddy Saturday #6
Everything the Federal Government does to help people is being destroyed. patphil Saturday #7
Very true and at the rate they're chainsawing... Brenda Saturday #8

Walleye

(40,187 posts)
2. That's OK, Florida, you don't need NOAA
Sat May 10, 2025, 09:56 AM
Saturday

Just get a big sharpie, and draw on the map everything will be OK.

Historic NY

(38,975 posts)
4. Der Santis will blow it away..
Sat May 10, 2025, 10:29 AM
Saturday

looks like him and the princess are heading for troubled patch.

SARose

(1,437 posts)
5. Same in Texas
Sat May 10, 2025, 10:37 AM
Saturday

FEMA chief out, NOAA disaster database cut as Houston braces for hurricane season
By Roberto Villalpando, Tanya Babbar,
Staff writers
Updated May 9, 2025 6:37 p.m.

Major changes made this week by the Trump administration at the nation’s top weather and disaster response agencies could have an outsized effect on Houston and Southeast Texas as we prepare for a busy hurricane season that starts in a few weeks.

Snip

Firing FEMA Head;
No updates to NOAA weather database;
NWS throughout Texas (including Houston/Galveston) have leadership vacancies and staffing cuts. Don’t know about Brownsville and Corpus Christi but assume the worst. These 3 NWS stations provide local hurricane statements, coastal flooding alerts and small craft advisories for approx 471 miles of coastal Texas.

Snip

Earlier this week, U.S. House Reps. Lizzie Fletcher, Sylvia Garcia and Al Green — all Democrats — sought answers from NOAA about the three leadership vacancies at the regional National Weather Service office for Southeast Texas.

Snip

They sent a letter asking NOAA Chief of Staff Laura Grimm to respond by May 30 to 10 questions that ask about the timeline to fill the leadership roles; the level of staffing for the upcoming hurricane season; the quality of services because of reduced staffing; and the circumstances of employee exits in the past few months.

As of Friday, the website for the weather service showed 11 of 25 listed positions as vacant.

Snip

More

June 1st Hurricane Season begins. Tropical Storm Alberto (2024), Hurricane Alex (2010), and Hurricane Bonnie (1986) all hit Texas in June.

Buddyzbuddy

(848 posts)
6. Wow! No warning and no FEMA. FAFO.
Sat May 10, 2025, 10:54 AM
Saturday

Here in California we have fire season and guess what. Canada sends us their equipment and firefighters to help out and Mexico sent fire fighters to help out with the Palisades fire
Who will help Florida? Crickets. Not even the USA.
Your moronic, cowardly politicians that were elected to look after your districts and states have decided it's better to gut the proven gov't systems to give a tax break to the top 1%. It's not too late to yell at them to fix it but it soon will be.
Sorry, but us democrats have filled up all of the lifeboats since November. You on the other hand were warned again and again about that iceberg. Well, at least buying up all of those worthless meme coins should help your situation.
Republicans! Republicans! Republicans!
You sure are crushing us.

patphil

(7,807 posts)
7. Everything the Federal Government does to help people is being destroyed.
Sat May 10, 2025, 11:08 AM
Saturday

All so that the Trump administration can be just one big money pump for the super rich.
If it results in massive illness, injury, or death, that's just too bad.
Greed
Over
People

Brenda

(1,574 posts)
8. Very true and at the rate they're chainsawing...
Sat May 10, 2025, 02:11 PM
Saturday

There will be bodies piled up from sea to shining sea.

This is not sustainable. That's why they're moving so fast. I just hope the repubs and non-MAGA in this administration stop this shit before too much damage and death has been assaulted upon Americans, you know the ones who PAY THEIR SALARIES.

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