NOAA faces mass layoffs as meteorologists and scientists are abruptly fired, sparking public safety fears

Hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including critical weather forecasters, have been abruptly terminated as part of sweeping federal workforce reductions under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The move, which lawmakers and experts have called reckless, eliminates approximately 10% of NOAA’s total workforce, raising concerns about the nation’s ability to predict and respond to natural disasters.

According to Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist, the cuts occurred in two phases—one eliminating 500 positions and another removing 800. Many of the dismissed employees were probationary workers, including nearly 375 within the National Weather Service (NWS), the agency responsible for providing life-saving meteorological forecasts.

The terminations are part of a broader effort to reduce what President Donald Trump has labeled an “inefficient and bloated” federal workforce. Thousands of probationary employees across various government agencies have already lost their jobs, including 1,600 staff members at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this week. Those workers were reportedly given just 15 minutes to clear their desks before being escorted out.

Lawmakers swiftly condemned the NOAA layoffs, warning of dire consequences. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) described the firings as “unconscionable,” emphasizing that these dedicated professionals play a vital role in protecting lives and property from severe weather. “This action will only endanger American lives going forward,” she stated.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), ranking minority member of the House Natural Resources Committee, echoed these concerns, calling the dismissals a direct threat to national safety. Climate scientist Daniel Swain of UCLA took to social media, denouncing the cuts as “spectacularly short-sighted” and warning that they would inflict a “major self-inflicted wound” on the country’s ability to prepare for climate disasters.

Despite the backlash, the administration has yet to release an official count of the total number of employees affected. Reports indicate that workers with less than one year of service were disproportionately impacted, as they lack the job protections afforded to longer-tenured employees.

As federal agencies reel from these mass layoffs, experts fear that the loss of NOAA personnel could leave the U.S. vulnerable to extreme weather events, with fewer trained professionals available to provide accurate and timely forecasts.