How do you report on the weather when data is disappearing?

[Nevilledog]

https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/05/how-do-you-report-on-the-weather-when-data-is-disappearing/

A severe storm swept across the central U.S. overnight on May 16, bringing tornadoes to a region that has already been ravaged by them this spring. At least 27 people in Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia have died, dozens more have been injured, and thousands of buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

It’s one of the most devastating storms to hit the region this tornado season, and more are likely to come. But as summer — which tends to be disaster season — approaches, meteorologists are raising the alarm over a growing crisis: It’s getting harder to predict the weather, and the reasons are largely political.

Since January, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its subsidiary, the National Weather Service (NWS), have lost thousands of workers, either through layoffs or resignations as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to gut the federal government’s workforce. Overall, NOAA has lost more than 2,000 workers, or about 20% of its workforce, in the last four months. According to a recent report in CNN, 30 of the 122 weather forecasting offices around the country — including the ones that cover major cities like New York, Houston, and Cleveland — currently lack chief meteorologists; a number of NWS offices around the country no longer provide 24/7 forecasting.

A reduced staff means fewer people collecting and analyzing the data we need to understand the weather and how climate change is impacting it. Historically, NWS offices across the country have performed coordinated weather balloon launches twice a day, at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m ET, providing meteorologists with granular data of atmospheric conditions at every level, but many sites have suspended or limited operations due to staffing shortages.

*snip*

[Marie Marie]

1. Why don't these storms ever wipe out Mar-a-Lago or wherever

the fuck Elon's Texas business are located. They would be the first in line to whine about not being warned and then collect government funds to repair or replace.