Chaos Ensues at NOAA Amid Staff Cuts and Email Security Failures

SILVER SPRING, Md. – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is facing significant upheaval as the agency grapples with dramatic staffing reductions and systemic email security failures linked to recent federal mandates aimed at streamlining government operations.

NOAA, renowned for its climate and marine research, and the National Weather Service, has seen over 1,000 employees either terminated or resign in a wave of cuts believed to represent approximately 20% of the agency’s workforce. The agency is bracing for additional cuts, with another 1,000 staff members expected to be affected in the ongoing purge, raising concerns about public safety and weather forecasting accuracy.

Among the concerns are drastic reductions in weather balloon launches, crucial for collecting atmospheric data essential for weather forecasting. Staff have reported a reduction in the number of balloons released at six sites across the U.S., potentially impairing the accuracy of forecasts.

The chaos intensified following the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)’s decision to implement a new email server that lacked basic security protocols. In January, employees reported receiving a barrage of obscene spam emails, including one with an inappropriate reference to the president. This incident has been viewed as emblematic of the larger dysfunction at NOAA.

“The feeling has been ‘you’ve got to be kidding me,’” one employee, who was fired but is now on administrative leave, stated. “These people at Doge think they are the best at what they do, but they can’t even protect an email list. They fired people and then had to hire them back; it’s an absolute joke.”

In response to the turmoil, elected officials and former staff have organized protests outside NOAA’s headquarters in Maryland, emphasizing that the cuts threaten vital climate research and public safety measures, such as hurricane tracking, which was jeopardized when five members of the “hurricane hunter” team were dismissed but later reinstated.

Andrew Rosenberg, a former deputy director of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, criticized the current administration, calling it “incompetent chaos.” He noted that remaining staff are trying to uphold the agency’s mission but are struggling under the current conditions, claiming that vital services are unraveling. “A year from now, people will notice things are missing that used to be there,” he said. “NOAA staff right now aren’t happy because they don’t know if they will keep their jobs.”

NOAA has not publicly commented on the staffing changes or the email security breaches as the situation continues to evolve.