Cuts to weather and disaster agencies weakening U.S. climate resilience
As floods and storms intensify across the country, the Trump administration is slashing funding and staffing for key federal weather and emergency agencies, prompting warnings from disaster experts.
Lisa Friedman, Maxine Joselow, Coral Davenport, and Megan Mineiro report for The New York Times.
In short:
- The Trump administration plans to close 10 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate and weather research labs, cut 27% from its budget, and eliminate key hurricane forecasting programs, including the Miami-based "hurricane hunters" operation.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already lost about a quarter of its full-time staff and $3.6 billion in preparedness grants; the president’s 2026 budget seeks to phase out the agency and shift disaster response responsibilities to the states.
- Cuts to the U.S. Geological Survey’s river gauge program and NASA’s earth science budget are expected to degrade flood forecasting and weather monitoring nationwide.
Key quote:
“We are not witnessing a reimagining of federal disaster response — we are watching its demolition.”
— Mary Ann Tierney, former acting deputy secretary, Department of Homeland Security
Why this matters:
With climate change driving more extreme storms, floods, and wildfires, pulling funding and expertise from agencies like NOAA, FEMA, and NASA leaves communities more exposed. River gauge networks, storm-hunting aircraft, and round-the-clock meteorologist staffing are life-saving infrastructure. Without them, accurate warnings arrive too late or not at all, while overburdened state and local agencies struggle to respond. Rural and low-income areas, which often rely most heavily on federal help, could be hit hardest. These decisions come as billion-dollar disasters grow more common.
Related: Trump’s NOAA nominee backs deep budget cuts amid rising disaster toll
