I do not want to talk about politics, but that is exactly what has entered into the realm of meteorology. The meteorological community is concerned about the latest news associated with NOAA. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is part of the group of government agencies slated to see significant job reductions.

It is worth revisiting NOAA’s mission statement which says in part, “to provide weather, water, and climate data forecasts” and in addition, “warnings and impact-based decision-making for protection of life and property.” The key phrase in this statement, and something that should not be forgotten, is ‘protection of life and property.’

These are the folks that are responsible for severe weather watches and warnings which can span from the summer tornado to the winter snowstorm. The individual forecast offices (Buffalo office is responsible for Rochester area) is staffed 24/7 in order to contend with highly changeable and complex weather. In addition, we have the National Center for Environmental Prediction, the National Hurricane Center and the Severe Storm Center. In total, there are some 12,000 employees which include scientists, meteorologists, data engineers, and emergency response managers, all tasked with dealing in severe weather. According to the latest news reports, 880 employees will be losing their jobs – which is about 10 percent of the workforce. Apparently, the Hurricane Hunters aircraft operation has already seen some severe cuts. Reportedly, there are many more layoffs coming in the near future.

I have been doing this job for more than 40 years and I know nothing stays the same. Any organization or corporation needs to streamline from time to time. I went through a workforce reduction myself several years ago. But the concern in the meteorology community seems to be the speed of the cuts and reduction in jobs that are mission critical. Who will then take responsibility for the protection of life and property?