NOAA/NWS Cuts

[Squiddie]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noaa-layoffs-trump-musk-doge/

I, personally, cannot wait until next year's winter when we get Snowmageddon 2.0 because a slashed NWS won't be able to make timely alerts for snowstorms.

Someone may need to check up on this site's Florida residents when hurricane season rolls around.

 

[RoseRed]

Thank goodness for Frankie!

 

[glhs837]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noaa-layoffs-trump-musk-doge/

I, personally, cannot wait until next year's winter when we get Snowmageddon 2.0 because a slashed NWS won't be able to make timely alerts for snowstorms.

Someone may need to check up on this site's Florida residents when hurricane season rolls around.

Yep. Every single federal work is critical. Do you really believe that?

 

[Sneakers]

We get better weather forecasts and warnings from the local talent anyway. Whether they are associated with NWS... don't know.

 

[Squiddie]

Yep. Every single federal work is critical. Do you really believe that?

I said NOAA/NWS for a reason. Those two organizations are absolutely critical.

We get better weather forecasts and warnings from the local talent anyway. Whether they are associated with NWS... don't know.

They are associated with the NWS. Local talent takes NWS/NOAA data and focuses it on a single area instead of the entire United States.

 

[Squiddie]

It's important to note that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Congress officially recognized the lifesaving potential that NOAA and the NWS had with their stern warnings and accuracy. It's mind-boggling to think that almost 20 years later, we'd be slashing it by 10%.

 

[glhs837]

I said NOAA/NWS for a reason. Those two organizations are absolutely critical.

They are associated with the NWS. Local talent takes NWS/NOAA data and focuses it on a single area instead of the entire United States.

Those orgs are indeed critical. These folks let go are not the whole org.

This is the new game. Pretend that every person let go was some critical linchpin.

 

[Squiddie]

Those orgs are indeed critical. These folks let go are not the whole org.

Issue being that NOAA and the NWS have been understaffed for years, and the layoffs primarily target newly hired employees.

 

[glhs837]

Issue being that NOAA and the NWS have been understaffed for years, and the layoffs primarily target newly hired employees.

So you have no idea critical these people were. Hell, NOAA hasn't even talked about who might be let go.

 

[Squiddie]

So you have no idea critical these people were.

I personally don't work for NOAA, so I can't say how critical these people are.
What I do know is that these actions are like taking stitches out prematurely because you don't need them if your body heals itself naturally.

I also should have said that its mostly probationary employees, which are primarily new hires, but also recently promoted staff members.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I personally don't work for NOAA, so I can't say how critical these people are.
What I do know is that these actions are like taking stitches out prematurely because you don't need them if your body heals itself naturally.

I also should have said that its mostly probationary employees, which are primarily new hires, but also recently promoted staff members.

After some initial confusion it appears the distinction between newly hired and just promoted is being made.

 

[vraiblonde]

It's important to note that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Congress officially recognized the lifesaving potential that NOAA and the NWS had with their stern warnings and accuracy. It's mind-boggling to think that almost 20 years later, we'd be slashing it by 10%.

Harder to believe it would become so bloated there'd be 10% to slash.

Aren't you watching the pressers Trump holds almost every single day? Between him, Karoline Leavitt, and Elon Musk they've gone over all this in excruciating detail and it makes perfect sense.

 

[vraiblonde]

What I do know is that these actions are like taking stitches out prematurely because you don't need them if your body heals itself naturally.

Why do you say that? Because you don't *know* that, you *think* it. Big difference.

 

[Squiddie]

Harder to believe it would become so bloated there'd be 10% to slash.

It's not bloated. It's not a USAID type of situation. NWS has been known for being understaffed for almost a decade or more. If anything, it needs more people, not less.

it makes perfect sense

Laying off people in one of the most tornado-prone areas of the USA makes no sense at all, actually.

Why do you say that? Because you don't *know* that, you *think* it. Big difference.

I'm not going to get into semantics games.

 

[limblips]

With all of the automation, computers, AI, high speed communications, and other time saving/labor saving things we have today one would think the manning requirements would decline. The unions have been crying for years that these things will cause joblessness. They fight to prevent robotics and automation. Just a thought.

 

[glhs837]

It's not bloated. It's not a USAID type of situation. NWS has been known for being understaffed for almost a decade or more. If anything, it needs more people, not less.


Laying off people in one of the most tornado-prone areas of the USA makes no sense at all, actually.


I'm not going to get into semantics games.

Looks like this is at least partially a self inflicted problem. Dates back to 2021.

National Weather Service remains understaffed despite bipartisan support

The National Weather Service has faced many of the same communication and staffing issues over the past decade.

www.federaltimes.com

John Werner, president of National Weather Service Employees Organization, added that the current workload given to NWS employees “exceeds” what the employees can do. He shared a chart that shows a 15 percent decrease in the NWS’s number of nonmanagerial employees over the past decade.

Now, this doesnt seem to be a money issue. They cannot attract the amount of employees they need. I wonder why that is?

A March report by the committee also highlighted the gender and racial imbalance at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent agency of the NWS. At the end of 2020, there were 8.5 male engineers for each female engineer, and the number of African American workers at NOAA has remained nearly flat over the past four years.

“We need to look like the communities we serve,” Uccellini said, admitting that he was “not happy” with the slow pace of progress.

Ah, what do we have here. Pretty sure nobody gives a rats ass what color or gender the person analyzing the freaking weather data or maintaining monitoring stations is.

I would say these issues are a pretty clear sign to NWS and possibly NOAA isn't being managed properly

Back in 2017, listen to this....

Staff shortage buffets the National Weather Service

In the midst of hurricane season, the agency is dealing with hundreds of vacant positions and "fatigued employees"

www.cbsnews.com

Perhaps Mr Ucellini was part of the problem? He did leave in 2022. Maybe the new guy cares more about weather and less about the color of people working the problems and hasnt had time to work on that.

 

[Kyle]

Looks like this is at least partially a self inflicted problem. Dates back to 2021.

National Weather Service remains understaffed despite bipartisan support

The National Weather Service has faced many of the same communication and staffing issues over the past decade.

www.federaltimes.com

Now, this doesnt seem to be a money issue. They cannot attract the amount of employees they need. I wonder why that is?



Ah, what do we have here. Pretty sure nobody gives a rats ass what color or gender the person analyzing the freaking weather data or maintaining monitoring stations is.

I would say these issues are a pretty clear sign to NWS and possibly NOAA isn't being managed properly

Back in 2017, listen to this....

Staff shortage buffets the National Weather Service

In the midst of hurricane season, the agency is dealing with hundreds of vacant positions and "fatigued employees"

www.cbsnews.com

Perhaps Mr Ucellini was part of the problem? He did leave in 2022. Maybe the new guy cares more about weather and less about the color of people working the problems and hasnt had time to work on that.

It’s phenomenal how many problems can be solved, so easily, by getting rid of a Democrat.

 

[LightRoasted]

For your consideration ...

It's important to note that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Congress officially recognized the lifesaving potential that NOAA and the NWS had with their stern warnings and accuracy. It's mind-boggling to think that almost 20 years later, we'd be slashing it by 10%.

Let me see about something .... checks notes: Today we have weather satellites, weather data collection stations across the continent, associated data processing computers, sophisticated computer programs and algorithms, as well as super computers to run certain scenarios, to parse data received from those weather satellites and land based weather stations. Heck, one can go to nearly every weather website and see predictions for a month out nowadays. With updates happening driven by computer programs on a continual basis with no human input. Exactly how many people are needed to tell us what tomorrow's weather will be?

 

[CPUSA]

It's important to note that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Congress officially recognized the lifesaving potential that NOAA and the NWS had with their stern warnings and accuracy. It's mind-boggling to think that almost 20 years later, we'd be slashing it by 10%.

 

[CPUSA]

I personally don't work, so I can't say how critical these people are.

I think we all knew this already...