Concerns Over NOAA's Cuts Grow With Forecast for a Busy Hurricane Season

Source: Newsweek

Published Mar 26, 2025 at 4:44 PM EDT


A forecast for an active hurricane season this summer has heightened concerns that the Trump administration's cuts to the federal government's weather information system will undermine the ability to accurately track and predict tropical storms.

"Loss in hurricane forecast skill has the potential to cost lives and lead to billions in avoidable damage," Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters told Newsweek via email.

Masters is a former hurricane hunter with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center. NOAA suffered sharp cuts as part of the Trump administration's effort to dramatically reduce federal government employment. Masters is among the former NOAA scientists and officials raising concerns about the effects those cuts might have on storm-tracking capabilities this hurricane season.

AccuWeather released its outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season Wednesday and predicted three to six direct storm impacts, with Texas, Louisiana, western Florida, North Carolina and Atlantic Canada all facing higher-than-average risks. The report, which relies in part on NOAA data, called for between seven and 10 storms to strengthen into hurricanes and for three to five of those to become major storms. The 30-year historical average is seven hurricanes and three major storms.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/noaa-staff-cuts-busy-hurricane-season-2051063