The National Weather Service offices nearest to the central Texas floods that left dozens dead and more missing were well-staffed and forecasters issued timely warnings, a union representative told NBC News today.
“The WFOs [weather forecasting offices] had adequate staffing and resources as they issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,” Fahy said, adding that unfilled leadership positions were “clearly a concern.”
In a statement, the National Weather Service said it was “heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in Kerr County.” The agency did not address questions about staffing, but provided a detailed outline of the warnings it sent.
“Flash Flood Warnings were issued on the night of July 3 and in the early morning of July 4, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before warning criteria were met,” the statement said.
Fahy said the San Antonio/Austin weather forecasting office is operating with 11 staff meteorologists and is down six employees from its typical full staffing level of 26. The office does not have a permanent science officer or warning coordination meteorologist, though there are employees acting in those leadership roles.
Fahy said the San Angelo office nearby is short four staff members from its usual staffing level of 23. The meteorologist-in-charge position — the office’s top leadership position — is not permanently filled. The office is also without a senior hydrologist.
“In San Angelo, there is no hydrologist, and that’s a problem,” Fahy said. Hydrologists analyze stream flow and play a key role in flood response.
The Texas offices are relatively well-staffed after cuts to the National Weather Service workforce. In early June, the National Weather Service was down about 600 employees after the Trump administration laid off workers and offered buyouts and early retirements.
Some NWS offices have seen staffing reductions of more than 40%, and the agency has scrambled to fill critical roles at some forecasting offices. At least eight offices stopped operating 24 hours a day this spring as a result and some have suspended weather balloon launches.
Prominent independent meteorologists who have been critical of NWS staffing and budget cuts in the past have said federal meteorologists on the ground issued timely warnings.
Alan Gerard, the former director of the analysis and understanding branch at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory, wrote in a blog post that the Austin/San Antonio forecasting office “did a solid job” communicating the risks as quickly as possible.
Matt Lanza, a Houston-based meteorologist, said there were no initial indications that staffing levels or budget cuts played a role in the tragedy.