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12,000 → 10,000 Employees. Hurricane Season Starts June 1.
NOAA plans to shrink from 12,000 to approximately 10,000 employees, a 17% reduction. Hundreds of probationary employees were fired in February 2025. Over 1,000 more left through deferred resignation and early retirement.
2,000 NOAA employees lost. Weather balloon launches suspended. $1.5-1.7 billion cut proposed. 14 billion-dollar disasters happened while the tracking database was offline.
The FY2026 budget proposed cutting NOAA by $1.5 to $1.7 billion, roughly 25% of its $6.7 billion budget. Weather balloon launches were suspended at multiple stations. Some National Weather Service offices were left without overnight forecasters.
The Disaster Database Went Dark
In May 2025, NOAA discontinued its Billion-Dollar Disaster Database, the definitive federal record of extreme weather costs. While the database was offline, 14 billion-dollar disasters occurred, causing $101.4 billion in damage that the government was not tracking. Climate Central rebuilt the database with a former NOAA scientist.
Congress pushed back and enacted a budget $1.6 billion more than the administration requested. But the staff who left are not coming back, and hurricane season begins June 1.
What you can do now
- Call both senators and demand they hold the line on NOAA funding in the next appropriations cycle. Congress added $1.6 billion more than the administration requested this year, but the proposed 25% cut will come back. Hurricane season starts June 1 and some National Weather Service offices have no overnight forecasters. Use Resist Bot to send your message.
- Contact your House representative and ask them to oppose further workforce reductions at NOAA. The agency lost 2,000 of its 12,000 employees. Weather balloon launches were suspended at multiple stations. The staff who left are not coming back on the current timeline, and these are specialized roles that take years to fill.
- Push your senators to require the restoration of the Billion-Dollar Disaster Database. While it was offline, 14 billion-dollar disasters caused $101.4 billion in damage that the federal government was not tracking. A former NOAA scientist had to rebuild it independently through Climate Central.
- Find your state’s delegation at your state page and ask whether your state depends on NWS forecasting for severe weather warnings, flood prediction, or hurricane tracking. Every state does. Tell them that cutting forecasters does not save money when a single missed warning costs billions in damage and lives.