1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

The deadly Texas floods were preventable. People died because critical warnings never came. Congress chose to slash essential public safety jobs, including weather experts, food inspectors, health department staff, Medicaid workers, and more. In San Angelo, there was no lead meteorologist, no senior hydrologist, no staff forecaster. The Austin and San Antonio office lost its Warning Coordination Meteorologist and science officer. These are not minor roles. They are the lifeline for flood warnings and emergency alerts. When those positions are empty, the system fails, warnings come too late, and people die. That is exactly what happened. Families were swept away. Lives were lost that could have been saved. Donald Trump, Doge, and Congress are responsible for destroying these life-saving systems. It is only July, and with more dangerous weather ahead, if this is not fixed now, more people will die. What steps will you take to fix these reckless cuts?