Trump's NOAA chief nominee vows to make staffing at weather service a priority after recent floods

President Donald Trump's pick to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Wednesday told the Senate that he would make staffing at the National Weather Service (NWS) a "top priority." 

The promise comes after lawmakers in both chambers expressed concern about NWS staffing amid heavy flooding in Texas last week that resulted in over 110 deaths, including the deaths of dozens of children, and storms in the southwest. 

The commitment also comes as the traditional hurricane season heats up in the South and on the East Coast.

“If confirmed, I will ensure that staffing the Weather Service offices is a top priority," Neil Jacobs, who served as the NOAA chief in an acting capacity during Trump's first term, said. "It’s really important for the people to be there because they have relationships with the people in the local community.” 

Questions regarding staffing at the NWS and other critical government offices come after the Trump administration drastically reduced the size of the federal government, along with slashing spending. But NOAA and NWS have defended the respective staffing levels in Texas amid the recent flood.

NOAA said that five NWS staffers were on duty last Friday when the storm hit Texas, instead of the normal two staffers, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 11 forecasters were working in nearby San Antonio and 12 in San Angelo.

Jacobs also suggested using post-disaster assessments on the Texas flood that would be similar to the National Transportation Safety Board's assessment of disasters, Axios reported.

"We need the data to understand what went right, what went wrong, whether people got the warnings, if they did or didn't, and if they did, did they not understand them?" Jacobs said.

Jacobs additionally confirmed that he supports Trump's budget proposal regarding cuts to weather and climate research.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.