After Texas flood, elected leaders say cuts to FEMA, NOAA could affect weather response
By Oren Oppenheim In the wake of the flooding event in central Texas, some governors and mayors are raising concerns over how current or potential cuts to agencies that are part of the federal government’s response to major weather events will impact how effectively the government can respond in the future. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — the latter of which oversees the National Weather Service — have lost hundreds of staff members through layoffs or early-retirement programs, and both face the potential of budget cuts. Budget cuts to NOAA are mostly directed at