cuts have come to national weather service

There are only a few federal agencies immune from the personnel cuts being made across the board here in the United States. The National Weather Service (NWS) is not one of them.

While “the weather” is a constant issue for emergency managers and everyone else, one of our partner agencies is now under the gun. Staff at the NWS started getting emails telling them their time at the agency is over. Personnel turnover is something we all deal with. Therefore, there typically are open positions, then there are people filling probationary positions. Those probationary employees are the ones leaving the NWS.

This “brain drain” will catch up with government in the future. We will have hollowed out the top, with people retiring and then not have a stream of new, younger people coming up the ranks to take their place. This ongoing practice of eliminating people and positions will naturally get to the point where there will be consequences. Retention of the remaining workforce will certainly be one as people work overtime and extra sifts to cover the mission profile of organizations. Maybe that is the goal—wear them down, make them feel unappreciated and make them leave on their own.

Watch for future moves to privatize weather forecasting. The idea that it will save money is ludicrous. It never does.