Concerns are mounting in Washington after last week’s devastating Texas floods, which claimed more than 100 lives. Representatives Eric Sorensen, Marcy Kaptur, and Lloyd Doggett are demanding an urgent review from President Trump, NOAA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They point to a 15% reduction in National Weather Service staffing since 2017, raising questions about the federal response and warning system failures. Congressman Sorensen, himself a meteorologist, is calling for a full investigation and has introduced legislation to boost NWS staffing and rural weather monitoring, stressing that stronger preparation is vital to saving lives as weather disasters intensify.
“As someone who has reported on dangerous floods for my neighbors as a meteorologist in my local community, I know how critical it is for NWS meteorologists, local media, and emergency management coordinators to work together seamlessly and quickly to share urgent warnings,” said Congressman Sorensen. “The deadly toll of the flash floods that hit Texas last week beg the question of what went wrong with the warning systems in place and what more could have been done to prevent this tragedy. The Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA and the NWS are already having a real impact on the accuracy of our nation’s weather forecasting, creating cause for major concern. That is why I am calling on President Trump, NOAA, and the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake a full-scale investigation into what went wrong and what can be done to prevent catastrophes like this in the future.”
“This flood was not just a natural disaster but a failure of foresight and leadership,” said Congresswoman Kaptur. “A changing climate is rewriting the rules of weather, and our federal agencies must keep pace. The American people deserve a weather warning system that does more than sound the alarm. It must be fully staffed and ready to act to ensure that everyone in harms way receives it. This letter is a demand for accountability, but more importantly, it’s a demand for lives to be protected anywhere severe weather strikes.”
“As Texans in my state are faced with much pain and uncertainty, we cannot wait to ask the hard questions,” said Congressman Doggett. “Effective oversight saves lives. That is why we need a full account of the ways in which the Trump administration’s recent actions have undermined the federal response, both before and after this catastrophe. Learning from these failures and recognizing that weather intensification driven by climate change increasingly endangers lives will help prevent more tragedies.”
