Did National Weather Service cuts lead to the Texas flood disaster? We don't know | Rebecca Solnit
Briefly

The Independence Day floods in Texas's Hill Country led to many drowning incidents that sparked immediate blame directed at the National Weather Service (NWS). Local and state authorities used this blame to deflect their own accountability, while critics of federal budget cuts to services like the NWS highlighted its alleged failures. A New York Times report speculated that staffing shortages hindered the NWS's ability to coordinate responses with local agencies, yet the language used did not assert a clear failure. Questions regarding the validity of these claims linger amidst calls for accountability.
The New York Times article suggested that staffing shortages at the National Weather Service could have complicated its ability to coordinate with local emergency management during the floods.
Blaming the National Weather Service served to deflect attention away from the local and state authorities' potential failures in response to the Independence Day floods.
While some believe the NWS failed to respond effectively, the reality is that the critique is often driven by political agendas and a demand for immediate answers.
The speculative nature of the New York Times article indicates that the assertion of NWS failure due to staffing shortages lacks concrete evidence.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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