Sharon D McCloud

John Morales, a meteorologist and hurricane specialist with NBC6 in South Florida, was reporting on an upcoming storm when he suddenly shifted gears, right in the middle of the broadcast. Morales explains that in his 34 years of presenting the weather, he’s always been able to confidently tell his viewers when a hurricane might hit, or when it might turn away. He’s always been able to stand behind his data, modeling, and forecast in order to help protect the people of South Florida. “I am here to tell you that I am not sure I can do that this year.” Why? “Because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general.” Morales then pulled up a graphic instead of his usual weather map. It laid out some stark realities about severe understaffing of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Between brutal layoffs, employees accepting the recent DOGE buyout, and straight-up resignations, the agencies responsible for collecting weather data have lost hundreds and hundreds of valuable experts. He also explained that due to federal government budget cuts, there’s been a sizable decrease in weather balloon launches across the country. Weather balloons are instruments that take crucial measurements of the upper atmosphere and send data that helps with forecasting. With less data available and lower-quality data, Morales says that “the quality of forecasts is becoming degraded.”