Budget Cuts to National Weather Service Lead to Delayed Tornado Warnings, Casualties

Budget cuts to the National Weather Service earlier this year forced some offices to cease 24-hour operations, including the Jackson, Kentucky office, which lost its full-time overnight forecaster. This directly contributed to delayed tornado warnings in a recent devastating storm, resulting in at least 27 deaths and numerous missing persons. The New York Times had previously reported on how these cuts would undermine weather forecasting improvements. Now, a NOAA PR team, under Trump loyalists, is scrambling to deny and downplay the situation. This tragedy highlights the severe consequences of underfunding weather services and raises serious concerns about public safety during future extreme weather events.