Just weeks after budget cuts gutted key forecasting positions in Kentucky, a deadly tornado outbreak killed at least 18 in the state—leaving many to question whether staffing reductions at the National Weather Service cost lives.
In April 2025, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the Trump administration, ordered staffing cuts across multiple National Weather Service (NWS) offices as part of a broader effort to streamline federal agencies, the New York Times reported.
The Jackson, Kentucky NWS office—a crucial site for monitoring severe weather in the Appalachian region—lost its full-time overnight forecaster and has been operating with only nine of its usual 14 staff members.
On Friday night, powerful tornadoes tore across Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia, killing at least 27 people—18 of them in Kentucky. In Laurel County alone, 17 deaths were reported.
Although staff banded together to deliver tornado and severe weather alerts throughout the night, experts had warned that the reductions would hinder life-saving alerts during overnight storms.
Local officials and residents described scenes of total destruction, with entire blocks leveled and families trapped in debris. Emergency responders and neighbors rushed to rescue the injured.
In London, Kentucky, hangars at the airport were demolished, planes were overturned and residential neighborhoods were reduced to rubble.
Critics, including union officials and weather experts, argue that DOGE's staffing decisions directly endangered lives. Governor Andy Beshear, who confirmed coordination with FEMA and DHS, warned that the state is still uncovering the full toll of the storm.
Originally published on Latin Times
