Amid a staffing nightmare at the US weather forecasting agencies, hurricane specialist John Morales issued a warning during a recent NBC6 broadcast. His latest feature went viral on social media, with clips being uploaded on YouTube, his own Instagram, and its subsequent popularity on X. Directing attention to how federal government cuts had consequences, he drew parallels between a years-old hurricane presentation and the current situation, which had ultimately rendered experts like him incapable of doing their job at 100%.
His message especially gained traction online as the US hurricane season began on Sunday. In February, the Trump administration’s severe government-shrinking efforts significantly struck down hundreds of jobs at the parent organisation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The National Weather Service was similarly affected by the ongoing federal job cuts earlier this year. With a destructive hurricane season closer than ever, concerns about potentially not being notified about life-saving warnings in time weighed heavy on Americans.
US meteorologist’s warning: National Weather Service cuts impact hurricane season coverage
Re-playing an old coverage of the catastrophic 2019 Hurricane Dorian, which was supported by an impressive presentation, Morales eventually cut to the present-day scene defined by the bare minimum. “As you’ve grown accustomed to my presentations over my 34 years in South Florida newscasts,” he highlighted how he’s been covering weather over a career spanning more than three decades.
Dear MAGA & DOGE fans—National Weather Service is now so understaffed by 20-40% in Florida & Southern US, that meterologist urgently warn they cannot confidently predict hurricane 🌀 paths anymore. These senseless cuts will endanger your life. pic.twitter.com/mtK1uaHqsB
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) June 3, 2025
The stark contrast between the two six-year-apart weather broadcasts was just palpable as the shift in his demeanour. “Confidently, I went on TV, and I told you, “It’s going to turn. You don’t need to worry. It’s going to turn,'” he recounted what he said during the 2019 newscast. Coming back to the picture emerging in 2025, he continued, “And I’m here to tell you that I’m not sure I can do that this year because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attacks on science, in general.”
“How that is affecting the US leadership in science over many years… and this is a multi-generational impact on science in this country.”
US weather agencies severely understaffed, forecast quality falls apart
After setting the tone for the argument, he specifically shifted his attention to the federal government cuts affecting the National Weather Service and NOAA. As per his data, Central and South Florida National Weather Service is currently 19-39% understaffed. “From Tampa to Keywest, including the Miami office, 20 to 40% understaffed,” he added.
With the resulting staffing shortage causing reverberations across the nation, Morales also noted that there has been nearly 20% reduction in weather balloon releases “that carry those radio signs.” In addition to the sinking stats, the leading meteorologist said that the quality of the forecasts and their accuracy were inevitably degrading.
American public health scientist Eric Liang Feigl-Ding was one among many to amplify John Morales’ stark warning. Directly addressing the Donald Trump-led government, his political supporters and allies, @DrEricDing wrote on X, “Dear MAGA & DOGE fans—National Weather Service is now so understaffed by 20-40% in Florida & Southern US, that meterologist urgently warn they cannot confidently predict hurricane paths anymore. These senseless cuts will endanger your life.”
US weather agencies ‘critically understaffed’: Rehiring begins despite prior job cuts
Contrary to the early 2025 layoffs, the US weather agency now seems to have flipped the switch on the conversation. Sources told CNN this week that the National Weather Service had been allowed to hire about 125 new meteorologist and specialists for forecast offices in the country. Given the current state of affairs, half a dozen centres, including those in Goodland, Kansas, and Sacramento, California, are in tatters reeling from the aftermath of the government layoffs.
These new reported rehires have been announced at a time when claims of both the National Weather Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency being unprepared for the hurricane season, which began on Sunday, have been at an all-time high. On top of that, a report by The Hill spotlighted an internal document leak establishing that the department was “critically understaffed.” The document further said that the weather service wanted to fill vacancies for meteorologists in disaster-prone areas like Houston and Miami.
Earlier this week, Tom Di Liberto, a former NOAA employee with insight into the re-hiring process, revealed that these agencies may be looking out to hire electronics technicians, hydrologists, physical scientists and meteorologists. A spokesperson for the National Weather Service even confirmed the same via an email statement, according to The Hill.
“NOAA leadership is taking steps to address those who took a voluntary early retirement option. NWS continues to conduct short-term Temporary Duty assignments (TDYs), and is in the process of conducting a series of Reassignment Opportunity Notices (RONs) to fill roles at NWS field locations with the greatest operational need,” said Erica Grow Cei.
“Additionally, a targeted number of permanent, mission-critical field positions will soon be advertised under an exception to the Department-wide hiring freeze to further stabilize frontline operations.”