Congressmen Sorensen, Flood Applaud Announcement to Hire 450 Critical Positions at the National Weather Service

Following Congressmen Eric Sorensen (IL-17) and Mike Flood’s (NE-01) efforts to help the National Weather Service (NWS) fully staff critical positions at their office, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced they will hire 450 meteorologists, hydrologists, and radar technicians. While the decision is welcome news, the Congressmen are continuing to urge their colleagues to pass their bipartisan Weather Workforce Improvement Actto ensure these positions will remain permanent and not be subject to any future cuts.

“For months, Congressman Flood and I have been fighting to get NOAA and NWS employees the support they need in the face of cuts to staff and funding,” said Congressman Sorensen. “Hundreds of unfilled positions have caused NWS offices across the country to cancel weather balloon launches, forgo overnight staffing, and force remaining meteorologists to overwork themselves. While I welcome this overdue news to hire more meteorologists, we need to pass our bipartisan bill to ensure these new hires are permanent and protected from any future cuts.”

“For decades the National Weather Service has helped keep our communities safe with accurate and timely forecasts,” said Congressman Flood. “This announcement from the administration sends a message that they’re focused on strengthening the NWS for years to come. I applaud the decision and will continue to work to support the agency’s critical work.”

Earlier this year, Congressmen Sorensen and Flood introduced their bipartisan Weather Workforce Improvement Act, which would allow NWS to quickly and full staff their offices with meteorologists, general physical scientists, hydrologists, computer specialists, and electronic technicians in the immediate future. The bill would ensure these NWS employees are appropriately and accurately recognized for their important public safety role and protect them from any future cuts.