Central Texas faced severe floods on July 4, exacerbated by staffing shortages at National Weather Service (NWS) offices caused by federal workforce reductions. Several key NWS positions were vacant, including management in the Houston/Galveston office, raising concerns about hurricane season preparations. Despite losing nearly 600 employees in 2025 alone, NWS offices in Austin/San Antonio and San Angelo managed to provide timely forecasts and warnings during the floods with additional staffing support. Experts assert that the quality of weather forecasts was maintained amidst the staffing challenges created by the reductions.
The National Weather Service (NWS) experienced severe staffing shortages due to federal workforce reductions, impeding their ability to manage critical weather forecasts during catastrophic flooding.
Forecasting offices in Austin/San Antonio and San Angelo anticipated the flood event and were able to issue timely warnings and provide decision support services despite staffing challenges.
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