Climate researcher: Cuts to NOAA could lead to economic disasters across U.S.

Deadly storms have swept across the nation dumping snow, spreading wildfires and spitting tornados across multiple states.

The active weather pattern comes amid staff cuts at NOAA — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Paired with previous cuts proposed earlier this year, the agency could lose up to 20 percent of its staff in just two months.

“It could be really debilitating,” said John Abraham, a professor at the University of St. Thomas, who’s climate research includes critical ocean temperature reports. He says the cuts could impact NOAA’s ability to forecast and warn for severe weather.

“We have about $100 billion, or more, per year in weather related disasters across the U.S. So losing our ability to just predict one of those would cost more than the cuts would save. It’s a small investment that pays off huge dividends in economic value, and that’s one of the things that makes these cuts so sad.”

NOAA is well known for providing weather forecasts and issuing storm warnings, but the cuts dig into the agency’s ocean and space research. Abraham said losing the ability to monitor the climate and understanding where the climate is going over the next decade is worrisome.

“It helps us for longer term preparation. If we know how the climate is changing, how rainfall patterns are changing, it helps us plant the right agriculture in the right area. It helps us build cities in the most economic areas. It helps us plan how society is going to adapt to a changing climate.”

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