The Trump administration is reportedly set to cancel the lease for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Center for Weather and Climate Prediction is drawing sharp criticism from meteorologists, scientists, and weather experts. Many argue that the move could cripple national weather forecasting and put American lives and businesses at risk.
A Critical Hub for Weather Forecasting
The Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, located in College Park, Maryland, is the backbone of NOAA's forecasting operations. It houses critical supercomputers that process Doppler radar data, weather models, and observational data used by meteorologists nationwide. The facility was designed to consolidate operations, increase efficiency, and save money—a decision that now seems ironic as its lease faces cancellation.
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Brad Panovich, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based TV news meteorologist, pointed out on X, "These are the literal buildings that house the computers and data centers." He said NOAA intentionally moved all its IT infrastructure into this single facility to reduce costs rather than operating multiple separate sites across the country. “The irony was that it was built for efficiency and cost savings, so there were not separate facilities for all these different departments. All numerical modeling for NOAA/[National Weather Service] comes from those supercomputers and data centers there.”
‘Every Single Dollar Of Our Economy Is Impacted By The Weather'
Panovich has been vocal about the economic consequences of gutting NOAA, warning that every sector of the U.S. economy depends on accurate weather forecasting. "This will literally bankrupt the U.S. If you ever wondered why NOAA/NWS is in the Department of Commerce, I have some news for you. Every single $ of our economy is impacted by the weather," he said, emphasizing the widespread reliance on NOAA data by industries such as agriculture, transportation, energy, and retail.
Michael Mann, climatologist and director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media, told Newsweek that dismantling NOAA could be catastrophic. "Without NOAA, we are flying blind into a climate abyss," he said, stressing that the agency provides crucial data for monitoring extreme weather events, including hurricanes and tornadoes.
A Dangerous Move Ahead of Severe Weather Season
The lease cancellation comes as the U.S. heads into peak tornado season, a time when NOAA's work is more critical than ever. The agency has already been hit with 800 staff layoffs, and experts warn that further cuts could weaken disaster preparedness.
Jim Cantore, a Weather Channel meteorologist, called the lease cancellations "horrible news for numerical weather prediction in this country," adding that the data from these facilities "saves lives."
Andrew Hazelton, a physical scientist with NOAA's hurricane research division, echoed these concerns on X, calling the move "a direct attack that would cripple NOAA modeling capabilities and directly lead to more death and property loss."
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White House Response and Privatization Concerns
A senior White House official told Axios that the administration is merely "reevaluating the lease terms, not closing any building." However, many believe this is part of a broader effort to weaken NOAA.
The debate over privatizing weather forecasting has surfaced before. Former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania once pushed a bill to limit NOAA's role in favor of private companies like AccuWeather. Don Paul, a veteran TV news meteorologist, told Newsweek that even if privatization were the goal, the government would still need NOAA's infrastructure to function.
Experts are sounding the alarm that gutting NOAA could have devastating consequences—not just for weather forecasting, but for the entire U.S. economy. As Panovich put it plainly, "The two buildings house all the Doppler radar data and model and observation data, literally the most critical 2 buildings they have!"
With hurricane and tornado seasons approaching, cutting NOAA's resources now could prove to be a disastrous decision—one that will cost both lives and billions of dollars.
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