85 Dead & Counting in Kerrville, Congress Must Fully Fund NWS & NOAA!

The Trump administration and DOGE have gutted NOAA and the National Weather Service, firing over 1,000 staff—nearly 8% of NOAA’s workforce—and cutting key positions in hurricane forecasting, radar maintenance, and satellite monitoring. Over 40% of NWS offices are now operating below safe staffing levels, including in high-risk areas like Houston and San Antonio. These cuts left Texans vulnerable when catastrophic flash floods struck Kerrville this July, killing at least 59 people—many of them children—while local offices lacked enough meteorologists to issue timely warnings. Defunding agencies that protect us from deadly weather while spreading anti-science rhetoric is reckless and deadly. “Thoughts and prayers” won’t save lives when warnings are silenced. It is time for Congress to stand up for what’s right and fully fund NOAA and NWS, restore essential staffing, and reject the politics of division and denial. Science saves lives. Truth protects communities. The time to act is now!