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As the Atlantic basin enters what experts forecast will be an “above-normal” hurricane season, a Florida weatherman has an unsettling message for locals. John Morales, a meteorologist at NBC 6 South Florida, told viewers Monday night that he will no longer be able to accurately predict hurricanes due to the Trump administration’s drastic cuts to weather and climate agencies.
Morales, who has over three decades of experience reporting on weather in South Florida, began the forecast with a clip of his 2019 coverage of Hurricane Dorian. In the clip, Morales assured residents that the storm would turn, sparing the state from a direct impact. Morales’ forecast proved to be accurate, and Dorian did not make landfall in Florida.
After playing the clip, Morales said that while he was able to go on television six years ago and “confidently” tell residents the storm would turn, he did not believe he could do the same this hurricane season.
“And I am here to tell you that I am not sure that I can do that this year because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general,” Morales said.
Trump’s cuts have led to massive staffing shortages at National Weather Service offices across Central and South Florida. As a result, Morales explained, less data is being collected due to fewer weather balloon launches. “And what we’re starting to see is that the quality of the forecast is becoming degraded,” Morales said.
We may be flying blind, and we may not exactly know how strong a hurricane is before it reaches the coastline.
John Morales
According to Morales, the administration’s cuts could also decrease the number of hurricane reconnaissance mission flights carried out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The agency's website states, “Information from both research and reconnaissance flights directly contribute to the safety of people living along and visiting the vulnerable Atlantic and Gulf coasts.”
Without this information, Morales warned, “We may be flying blind, and we may not exactly know how strong a hurricane is before it reaches the coastline.”
In May, NOAA predicted six to 10 hurricanes could hit the Atlantic this season. While the Trump administration has dismissed concerns that staffing cuts will impact service during hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the agency is already being stretched thin. Around 1,000 people, or 10% of NOAA’s workforce, have reportedly been cut in recent weeks.
Morales ended his forecast by urging viewers to take action, telling those watching at home to “call your representatives and make sure that these cuts are stopped.”
You can watch Morales' full report below.