Rep. Doggett Calls for Answers on Federal Cuts to Local National Weather Service Operations

Concerns raised with the Trump Administration, well before deadly floods in Central Texas, are still unanswered.

Contact: Alexis Torres

Washington, D.C.-Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) requested immediate answers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency responsible for the National Weather Service (NWS), about the impact of critical understaffing on the recent catastrophe in Central Texas. The Congressman is seeking information regarding how President Trump's abrupt staffing cuts and hiring freezes may have affected forecasts and warning alerts in the NWS Austin/San Antonio office. One of the six vacant positions is the "Warning and Coordination Meteorologist," who is responsible for planning, coordinating, and carrying out area-wide public awareness programs to mitigate death, injury, and property damage or loss caused by severe weather.

Over the July Fourth weekend, Central Texas experienced disastrous flooding, which has taken at least 100 lives, including two 8-year-old Austinites among the more than two dozen young campers and counselors drowned at Camp Mystic. Rescue crews continue to search for survivors throughout the region.

"For months, I have been sounding the alarm about the danger to Central Texans from the Trump staffing cuts and hiring freeze at the National Weather Service and NOAA," said Rep. Doggett. "The Administration has been unresponsive to my repeated attempts to secure information about the extent of the harm it has caused to our local NWS office. Without complete and accurate information about what really occurred last week at NWS, we cannot prevent future catastrophes, like the loss of lives in the recent Kerr County flooding, which is causing such extraordinary pain to so many families."

In the letter, the Congressman wrote, "[a]lthough the NWS issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 AM, a repeat of this warning at 3:35am as Camp Mystic was being inundated, and a flash flood emergency at 4:03 AM, this catastrophe raises questions regarding what and when communications were sent to local disaster coordinators, what special flood statements were issued to the public, and what coordination occurred between NWS and local leaders."

On May 20, Rep. Doggett first contacted NOAA about severe understaffing at the NWS Austin/San Antonio office, which doubled from 11% to 22% after President Trump took office. The agency has not responded.

Since the spring, Rep. Doggett has publicly warned about how the Trump administration's federal cutbacks could negatively impact timely, accurate weather forecasts and operations. Today's letter in full can be read here.