This is a plea for Representative Nick LaLota to prioritize fighting Washington’s war on weather forecasting and climate science. While not the only congressional district at risk, ours is one of those that could be hurt most by budget cuts and the termination of crucial information used in predicting the path and strength of hurricanes, as well as sudden sea level rise.
Without explanation, the Department of Defense announced recently that it would stop sharing real-time satellite microwave data with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Independent scientists and former NOAA staff say the information is critical to hurricane predictions, as well as aiding the long-term understanding of complex tropical weather systems.
Three satellites map the entire world twice a day with extremely high resolution and are a primary source of information for scientists to monitor Arctic sea ice and hurricane development. This is the only system that lets United States scientists see inside the clouds of developing hurricanes. Importantly, the microwave data is the only source for nighttime observations, which are critical to watching for sudden increases in strength. NOAA will stop receiving the data at the end of July — just in time for the peak of Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm season.
Trump administration appointees have suggested that the U.S. outsource by buying hurricane microwave data from Japan, which operates its own observation satellites. There’s an obvious risk in being dependent on information from a country on the opposite side of the globe that may have its own priorities, ones that differ from those in the U.S. It seems poorly thought out and puts the East Coast at greater risk.
Meanwhile, the website that hosted the federal government’s national climate reports, which are mandated by Congress, went offline Monday afternoon. And, looking to next year, the administration would slash NOAA funding by 30 percent, with the damage largely intended to halt climate research. But that’s not all: An exhaustive outline in the 2026 spending plan eliminates funding for everything from Sea Grant to salmon restoration. To benefit seafloor mining and fossil fuel extraction, the budget also orders that hydrographic surveys be increased by up to 40 percent. The administration also plans to shift most weather forecasting to private industry and artificial intelligence.
As a member of the House Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee, Mr. LaLota is well positioned to push for the extension of the data stream at least until a suitable alternative is in place. If he takes his role in Congress seriously and cares about his district, he should try to get to the bottom of it. There is some precedent: Mr. LaLota boasts of voting for Army Corps of Engineers coastal projects and to “conduct feasibility studies to improve navigation and flood management, mitigate storm and hurricane damage, and restore ecosystems,” according to his website. Now is the time for him to stand up for the best possible weather forecasts.
What is difficult to understand is why the White House would be as willing to hand Democrats such a potent campaign issue. Certainly, extraction-industry lobbyists with eyes on the sea floor are behind NOAA’s realignment, mining companies don’t vote, especially in New York’s First Congressional District. Just think about it for a second: Why in the world would Mr. LaLota leave himself wide open to accusations that he is pro-hurricane by voting for the budget bill?