You are a hero in my book.
Unfortunately, phone calls to our representatives may be too little too late... Nevertheless, let us continue to call + plead + request + demand that funding for NOAA + NWS staff + facilities be restored...
American lives + property + infrastructure are at stake. In 2024, 27 individual weather + climate disasters w/ at least $1 billion in damages caused at least 568 direct or indirect fatalities. I fear this was just a taste...
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/
Stunned but not surprised to read on the "Billion-Dollar Weather + Climate Disasters" page the following:
"In alignment with evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes, NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) will no longer be updating the Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters product. Additional details and the opportunity to submit comments are available at the NESDIS Notice of Changes website. All past reports, spanning 1980-2024, and their underlying data remain authoritative, archived, and available via the Billion-Dollar Disasters dataset landing page."
Mother Nature is unforgiving, so be prepared, America...