Several protesters have gathered outside the National Weather Center to protest layoffs and federal budget cuts to the National Weather Service. Read more at oudaily.com.
Around 20 protesters gathered in front of the National Weather Center Friday to advocate against a second round of layoffs and funding cuts to the weather center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The effort is a part of the Stand Up for Science movement, which prompted protesters to gather outside universities across the nation on the last day of classes.
Alan Gerard — who worked with the National Weather Service and NOAA for almost 35 years, most recently as the National Severe Storms Laboratory director of analysis and understanding — attended the protest.
Gerard retired in March, among over a thousand agency staffers who took early retirement or buyout offers.
“When it became apparent that this was the road we were heading down, if I’m planning to retire anyway, there’s no point in me taking a job that somebody else could potentially have,” Gerard said.
The number of early retirees accounts for over 8% of the agency’s roughly 12,000 employees.
Though his real passion is sharing science with others, Gerard said he also intends to share his perspectives on the agency’s importance amid such adversity.
“NOAA as a whole does incredibly important work, not just for weather but oceans (and) marine life,” Gerard said. “The current budget plans are pretty much going to gut a lot of what that is.”
Gerard said the proposed budget would eliminate the National Severe Storms Laboratory, a NOAA research lab focused on studying severe weather and improving the accuracy and timing of severe weather warnings.
“Norman is known worldwide for being a center of meteorology and severe weather research, and we’re in serious danger of losing that,” Gerard said.
Amy McGovern is an OU meteorology and computer science professor who attended the protest. McGovern conducts research on machine learning for physical sciences with a focus on high-impact weather, and he receives research funding from the National Science Foundation.
“Science matters,” McGovern said. “We need more funding for science and not to be cutting all the science, specifically at NOAA because we need to continue the research into better weather forecasts.”
Former National Weather Service directors’ letter
Five of the most recent former National Weather Service directors sent a letter Friday condemning the mass layoffs and budget cuts facing the agencies.
“We know firsthand what it takes to make accurate forecasts happen and we stand united against the loss of staff and resources at NWS and are deeply concerned about NOAA as a whole,” they wrote.
The letter reads that the agency’s staff has decreased by more than 10% since President Donald Trump’s administration began its efforts. This comes after about 300 National Weather Service employees left this week and about 250 probationary employees were fired in February.
According to the letter, it will be impossible for the agency to continue its current level of services.
“Some forecast offices will be so short-staffed that they may be forced to go to part time services, …” the letter reads. “Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life.”
The spring severe weather season is well underway, lasting from March until the end of May, per the National Weather Service website. The National Weather Service is tasked with issuing all tornado, hurricane and flood warnings and more during extreme events.
The National Weather Service works in part with NOAA. According to the letter, NOAA satellites significantly aid in forecasting.
“Even if the National Weather Service remains level funded, the rest of NOAA will be severely impacted,” the directors wrote. “Given the interconnectedness of all of the parts of NOAA, there will be impacts to weather forecasting as well. We cannot let this happen.”
Federal cuts across the nation
Amid scrutiny from the Trump administration, the National Science Foundation terminated over a thousand grants worth $739 million to researchers and their institutions over the past two weeks. The foundation has also stopped awarding new grants.
Whether they are funded by NSF, NOAA or other entities, McGovern said this round of budget cuts impacts all research collaborators.
Trump released a budget blueprint Friday morning that detailed a $163 billion budget cut for the 2026 fiscal year. The proposal would cut the NOAA budget by about a quarter, or $1.5 billion, and cut the NSF budget by over half, or $4.7 billion.
Trump has branded NOAA as a part of the “green new scam,” pledging to terminate climate research, data and grant programs within the proposal. The proposal reads that educational grant programs within NOAA have funded the radicalization of students and spread environmental alarm.
The proposal would also cut NOAA funding intended for the Geostationary Extended Observations satellite program, which would address environmental challenges regarding the weather, ocean and more upon its operation.
“The budget empowers NOAA to directly negotiate contracts for satellites, eliminating unnecessary layers of bureaucracy and promoting innovation, while continuing to modernize core weather-monitoring capabilities and maintaining first launch in 2032,” the budget description reads.
Olivia Elias, an OU environmental sustainability sophomore, organized the protest. Elias said she wanted to spread awareness about the funding cuts, especially in Norman, a city frequently impacted by severe weather.
“It’s really scary because it’s gonna get to a point if this continues the way it’s going, we’re not going to know if there’s going to be a tornado (and) more lives will be lost,” Elias said.
Elias grew to love weather at a young age and once even dressed as a tornado for Halloween. Brandishing a poster of childhood photos at the protest, Elias said the pictures serve as a reminder of why she cares deeply about this issue.
“I’m doing this so that she can live out her little dream and so students and kids like her can have a future,” Elias said.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele.
