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The National Weather Service (NWS) is reversing course just months after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts forced the loss of more than 550 trained employees — announcing it will now hire 450 meteorologists, hydrologists, and radar technicians to fill critical roles.

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The hiring plan, revealed to staff during an all-hands meeting on Monday, comes as the Atlantic hurricane season begins to intensify and just weeks after deadly floods devastated Texas. Staffing shortages have left the agency stretched thin, prompting concerns about the nation’s preparedness for severe weather.

According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official, the positions will be “front-line mission critical” and include 126 roles that were previously approved but never filled before the hiring freeze. The agency has been granted direct hiring authority by the Office of Personnel Management — a special exemption typically used when there is a severe shortage of qualified candidates or an urgent public safety need.

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Cuts Created a Strain During Disasters

When the DOGE cuts and early retirement incentives took effect earlier this year, probationary employees were among the first to go, and the total NWS workforce fell below 4,000. Staff reductions forced remaining employees to work extended hours, take on additional responsibilities, and operate with fewer resources — including reduced weather balloon launches that provide vital atmospheric data.

The timing of those cuts raised alarms in the meteorological community, as they came at the start of hurricane season and in the midst of other severe weather threats.

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Criticism From Inside the Agency

Current and former employees have expressed relief at the hiring announcement — but also deep frustration.
“How much time and money is it going to cost to train a bunch of new people when we had already-trained people in place?” one NOAA official told CNN, requesting anonymity.

The decision to cut staff and then rush to hire replacements months later means taxpayers will now shoulder the cost twice: once for severance and early retirement packages, and again for recruiting and training new personnel. Some of those new hires may be the same people who were let go earlier this year.

Political and Public Safety Pressure

For months, the NWS — with support from lawmakers on Capitol Hill — pushed for a public safety exemption to the federal hiring freeze. That exemption was finally granted, giving the agency authority to bypass traditional, lengthy hiring processes.

With hurricane season already underway and forecasters warning of an above-average number of storms, the move to rebuild staffing levels has been described by insiders as a race against time.

The irony, critics say, is that the race wouldn’t be necessary if the agency hadn’t been stripped of its experienced workforce in the first place.

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