Pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to explain whether recent staffing cuts to weather agencies played a role in the deadly Texas floods that killed at least 89 people over the holiday weekend.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling for a full investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after reports surfaced that key positions at National Weather Service (NWS) offices in the region were vacant before the storm hit.
“Following the disastrous and deeply devastating flash flooding in Texas this weekend, I write to urge you to immediately… open an investigation into the scope, breadth, and ramifications of weather staffing shortages at key local National Weather Service (NWS) stations,” Schumer wrote in a letter to the Commerce Department’s Acting Inspector General on Monday.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the top official in one of the hardest-hit areas, said local leaders had no idea the flood was coming.
“There was no warning,” Kelly told reporters.
The NWS says it sent out warnings, but several local officials say they either didn’t receive them or got them too late to act.
Schumer points to a New York Times report stating that important forecasting roles — including a warning coordination meteorologist — were empty in the region at the time of the storm. He says those roles are essential.
“These are the experts responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water levels, issuing flood warnings, and coordinating directly with local emergency managers about when to warn the public and issue evacuation orders,” Schumer wrote. “To put it plainly: they help save lives.”
He blames a spike in vacancies across the NWS on the Trump administration’s push to cut staff and encourage early retirements. Since Trump returned to office, vacancy rates have nearly doubled.
“The roles left unfilled are not marginal, they’re critical,” Schumer said.
He wants answers to a list of questions — including how many roles were vacant, what those jobs were, and whether the staffing gaps delayed or weakened warnings.
In response, the NWS said its offices in Austin/San Antonio and San Angelo had “extra personnel on duty” during the storm. NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei said all forecasts and warnings were issued “in a timely manner.”
But that’s not what some officials on the ground are saying.
The NWS lost nearly 600 employees earlier this year as the Trump administration pushed for broad federal staff reductions. In June, the agency said it would try to hire 126 new workers to help stabilize operations.
Trump, speaking Sunday, denied the staffing cuts played any role in the disaster. He blamed no one — not even President Biden — and instead called the event a tragic “100-year catastrophe.”
“That was really the Biden setup. That was not our setup, but I wouldn’t blame Biden for it either,” Trump said. “It’s just so horrible to watch.”
Pressed on whether he still plans to phase out FEMA, Trump said only that the agency was “busy working” and hinted at a visit to Texas on Friday.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz warned against playing politics. “There will be a time for retrospection,” he said, but added that he doesn’t believe staffing shortages at the NWS were to blame.
