As tornadoes wreak havoc from Kansas to Kentucky, the National Weather Service (NWS) faces challenges due to staffing cuts instigated by recent government policies. Despite the pressure, local offices are working overtime to monitor the increasing frequency of tornadoes, which is projected to exceed last year's high numbers. Experienced forecasters voice concerns about sustainability under current conditions, revealing that while they strive to fulfill their responsibilities, the ongoing resource depletion could hinder future effectiveness and responsiveness to extreme weather events.
The job is getting done. But he acknowledged that staffing cuts have "made it harder on us." Staffing reductions have impacted the ability of local offices to fulfill their essential duties.
NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei said the Jackson office "remained fully staffed through the duration of the event using surge staffing" and had support from neighboring offices.
The Storm Prediction Center had tallied 883 local tornado reports this year as of Monday, which was 35% higher than average for this time of year.
I hope we're not in the same staffing situation long term. . . . It would be hard to sustain this for months or years.
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