Funding Cuts, Then Loss Of Life In Texas

They were warned not to cut NOAA funding. They did it anyway. And many innocent lives were lost.

CBS published an article, dated May 5, under the title, “Former National Weather Service leaders warn about ‘loss of life’ from NOAA cuts.” The opening paragraph of the article reads, “The five living former National Weather Service leaders wrote and released an open letter to the American people warning about the impact of staffing and program cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, saying their ‘worst nightmare’ is the cuts will lead to ‘needless loss of life.’”

Of the five living National Weather Service (NWS) leaders, all signed the letter, regardless of who appointed them. That should make anyone who cared about NOAA, the NWS, and weather disasters, even those out to cut funds for federal agencies, sit up and take notice. But it didn’t. (Green Energy Times posted the original letter HERE.)

According to the CBS article, the former NWS heads’ letter says, “Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life. We know that’s a nightmare shared by those on the forecasting front lines — and by the people who depend on their efforts.”

A disaster on the order they were worried about happened in Kerr County, Texas, just two months after that article appeared. The retired NWS heads all warned it could happen, and it did.

There is a matter of law called “depraved indifference.” It describes a situation of complete disregard for the lives of others. In a case where depraved indifference leads to a death, which could be regarded as second-degree murder. (Disclosure: I am not an attorney.)

When cuts were made to the NOAA budget, those who made them may have been acting without doing their due diligence. But this matter goes beyond that point; they were warned that lives would be lost, and lives were lost. The causes of the disaster should be investigated, and that includes determining what parts might have been played by loss of NWS staff.

There is more, however.

Part of the issue here is climate change. The amount of rain that fell was far more than anticipated.

However, there is an issue here that we should not overlook. NOAA and NWS funding were reduced, and staffing was reduced, despite the warning letter from experts. Climate change, however, will go on. There will be another disaster. And then, there will be another. And another. And they will just go on. And as they do some of them will set records as the worst we have ever seen. And many more lives will be lost.

Since the cuts to NOAA and NWS, were made, there have been a number of other unforeseen weather disasters. Tornadoes and wildfires have been abundant. Now hurricane season is upon us.

Sooner or later, cuts to NOAA and NWS funds and staffing will lead to a failure where the dots can be connected. And at that point, we will see cause and effect more clearly. And that could include the identities of anyone who should have done better.

The thought that little girls were woken up in a terrifying flood, and died in fear, makes my blood boil.

This article originally appeared at Green Energy Times.

Image: July 4 flood in Texas (USCG photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)