It's hurricane season, and the Houston office of the National Weather Service is scrambling to do its work without almost half its staff.

What's happening?

In the last six months, the Department of Government Efficiency has cut almost 600 NWS positions — equal to how many it lost over the previous 15 years, the Texas Tribune reported.

Mark Fox of the Oklahoma office has become the meteorologist-in-charge in Houston, though 11 of 25 positions remain unfilled amid a hiring freeze implemented by the Trump administration.

Meteorologists, hydrologists, and other staff are filling in virtually as well, and the NWS has changed its training to ensure major weather events are covered continuously. 

"We can continue 24/7 with the staff that we have," Fox said. "If we need to augment staff to kind of help out and give some people a break, we can do that. But the mission is going to be fulfilled."

"We're not expecting any drop in the quality or quantity of information that we provide," Jason Johnson, hydrologist in charge at the Fort Worth office, told the Tribune.

Why is this important?

The NWS provides critical information to help people remain safe during storms. It also monitors rivers, the water cycle, and the changing climate, forming the basis for regional and local forecasts and emergency management plans.

This hurricane season is expected to be almost as dangerous as last year's, with 13-19 named storms and as many as five that could become Category 3 hurricanes with winds of 111 miles per hour. This is partly because of a projected stronger-than-usual West African monsoon, warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean, and consistent wind speeds and direction.

Rising global temperatures caused by the burning of coal, gas, and oil for energy are driving such intensifications, contributing to more frequent and more severe droughts, wildfires, and floods, among other natural disasters.

NWS staffing cuts have cost offices "critical institutional knowledge and expertise," per the Tribune. The agency has launched fewer weather balloons, which collect data that aids hurricane forecasting. Without it, there could be "larger errors in hurricane tracking."

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What's being done about NWS staffing cuts?

In early June, 126 NWS job openings were exempted from the federal hiring freeze to "stabilize frontline operations" where there's "the greatest operational need," spokesperson Erica Grow Cei told the Tribune. 

Still, local governments, nonprofit groups, private businesses, houses of worship, and schools are filling the gaps. This includes hosting hurricane preparedness workshops; distributing air conditioners, bottled water, and emergency kits; and clearing ditches to prevent flooding.

People along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard should already be prepared for a hurricane and stay informed. When a storm is on its way, residents are urged to heed evacuation directives. During and afterward, stay inside, avoid flood waters, and keep generators away from buildings.

"It's your responsibility to monitor the weather," Fox told the Tribune. "On a beautiful day, just think about your plan — because when the time comes to act, it's too late to start planning."

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