In the wake of devastating flash floods in central Texas that claimed dozens of lives over the weekend, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday reportedly disputed claims that staffing cuts jeopardized weather forecasting.
Leavitt emphasized that key National Weather Service (NWS) offices in the region were fully staffed and operating normally when issuing critical alerts.
“These offices were fully staffed,” Leavitt told reporters, providing specific numbers: the San Angelo office had 12 forecast meteorologists on duty, while the San Antonio station had 11. She added that even the NWS union confirmed staffing levels were sufficient.
The clarification came amid criticism from Democrats and media outlets asserting that budget reductions — part of the broader government downsizing under the Trump administration and the Elon Musk–led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative — had weakened the agency’s capacity.
Leavitt described the floods as a “once-in-a-century” natural disaster and defended the Weather Service’s response.
“The National Weather Service did its job,” she said, noting timely watches, warnings and flash-flood emergencies were issued as the storm progressed. President Trump, speaking from Air Force One en route to Texas, said he would visit the affected areas soon to meet with displaced families and first responders.
Concerns about staffing emerged after the NWS reportedly lost nearly 600 employees in recent months due to early retirements, firings, and attrition tied to internal restructuring.
The cuts, which some critics argue have hindered weather monitoring, led to shorter warnings, reduced launches of meteorological weather balloons and delayed data processing—a trend flagged in April by meteorologists cited in The Washington Post.
Senator Chuck Schumer and other Democrats sharply criticized the administration, suggesting that reduced staffing cost lives. Schumer sent a letter to the Commerce Department’s acting inspector general requesting an investigation into whether the personnel reductions impaired forecasting capacity during the flood.
But other voices defended the Weather Service. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified earlier that the agency had rebounded and was “fully staffed” with forecasters before hurricane season began.
Similarly, Texas Senator Ted Cruz cautioned against politically exploiting the tragedy, while NWS officials from Fort Worth affirmed that the flood forecast and warning systems remained “adequate.”
As emergency crews continue rescue operations and search efforts, the administration’s pushback underscores the increasingly politicized nature of public safety infrastructure.
For the families affected by the floods, the focus is squarely on recovery. Yet for lawmakers and policy analysts, the debate raises urgent questions: Can weather warning systems sustain deep federal cuts in the face of growing climate volatility? The answer may depend on whether institutions can withstand retrenchment without compromising public safety.
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