Forecasters within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict this summer's hurricane season, which started June 1, will be “above average” in terms of activity. NOAA’s temperature outlook, meanwhile, also forecasts hotter-than-usual temperatures across the whole U.S. this summer.
But as climate change juices up severe storms and wildfires and makes heat waves even deadlier, cuts at all levels across the U.S. federal government have thrown agencies tasked with preparing the country for disasters—and helping it recover—into chaos.
These cuts are already having real impacts for Americans. As of mid-May, amid intense staffing losses at NOAA, four of the National Weather Service’s 122 stations around the country no longer had enough personnel to keep an overnight shift going, while several other stations were considering stopping 24/7 forecasting operations. Historically, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers have gone door-to-door offering services to citizens in disaster areas, but as WIRED reported last month, the agency is discontinuing this practice this year. FEMA workers have told WIRED that they don’t feel the agency is ready for disaster season.
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