By Oliver Milman
As the US enters what’s expected to be an active and destructive hurricane season, over a dozen National Weather Service (NWS) offices along the Gulf of Mexico coast are grappling with severe understaffing, The Guardian has learned.
Fifteen regional offices stretching from Texas to Florida, plus Puerto Rico, are facing major meteorologist shortages. Offices in critical areas like Miami, Jacksonville, Puerto Rico, and Houston are missing at least a third of their required meteorologists.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, which leads hurricane tracking nationwide, is also short five hurricane specialists, despite public claims by the Trump administration that it’s fully prepared.
This staffing crisis stems from job cuts and a hiring freeze under Trump, with over 600 NWS employees leaving since he took office.
Union Warning: ‘We’re at the Breaking Point’
“The system is already overstretched, and at some point, it will snap — we are at the snapping point now,” warned Tom Fahy, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization.
While the NHC says it can still manage key operations, experts warn that the combined impact on NWS and FEMA (which has had leadership changes and lacks a finalized hurricane response plan) could severely undermine the country’s ability to handle coming storms, floods, and wildfires.
“If I were a citizen of Texas, Florida, or Georgia, I wouldn’t be sure how well I’d be warned of an incoming hurricane,” said Rick Spinrad, former head of NOAA. “And I’m not confident FEMA would be able to respond effectively.”
Empty Positions Across Critical Offices
According to internal NWS documents, offices in hurricane-prone areas — including Houston, Lake Charles, Miami, Key West, and Mobile — are now seeking emergency relocations to fill senior and meteorologist roles. Some offices are so short-staffed they’re shutting down overnight, reducing 24-hour operations.
Currently, seven of the 122 NWS offices nationwide — including the Jackson, Kentucky office hit by a deadly tornado this month — are no longer running around the clock. Nationwide, 30 offices lack a meteorologist-in-charge.
Long-Term Damage to US Forecasting
Former staff warn that reduced radar maintenance, fewer weather balloon launches, and cuts to “hurricane hunter” flights are placing unprecedented strain on the system.
“This musical-chairs approach is not sustainable,” said Brian LaMarre, a 30-year NWS veteran who recently retired early. “What’s really needed is proper funding for the National Weather Service and NOAA.”
While the NHC’s hurricane tracking has improved significantly thanks to better models and technology, the worry is that local offices won’t be able to translate that data into actionable, localized warnings for emergency services and communities.
“There simply aren’t enough bodies to do the job they’re supposed to do,” said James Franklin, a retired NWS hurricane specialist. “Even if you don’t see the impact this year, you certainly will in five or ten years. This seems driven more by ideology than any real cost-saving.”
