It is clear that the weather service is “a source of anxiety” before the deadly Texas floods star-news.press/wp

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued forecasts and timely warnings before the disastrous floods on Friday in central Texas, but the concerns that have long been employed-including unpaved leadership positions-have led to a source of non-weather specialists.

Why do it matter

The destroyed floods in CARE and the surrounding areas were killed at least 37 people, including 14 children, and left many missing persons. NWS, responsible for issuing critical warnings that could save lives, recently suffered hundreds of workers’ demobilization after directives to save costs from the Ministry of Governmental efficiency (Doge).

The agency lost approximately 560 workers earlier this year, raising questions about the regime’s flexibility and its ability to work with its full strength during life -threatening events. Employment levels, especially in the leadership and levels of supreme prediction, were under scrutiny, as the country enters the hurricane season, amid predictions of the increasing storm activity.

The timeline of the catastrophe and response NWS

Tom Fahi, Legislative Director of the NBC News Organization, said that although local prediction offices were working sufficiently during the crisis, vacant jobs were “clearly concerned.”

The catastrophic floods in the middle of Texas struck on Friday, as the Guadalobi River rose by more than 20 to 26 feet within 90 minutes, causing widespread destruction and the evacuation of the collective.

Some officials assumed a problem with the expected warning, which they said was not anywhere near the levels of the floods that occurred. “Everyone got expectations from the national weather service, right? You all got it, you are all in the media, you got these expectations. You did not predict the amount of the rain we saw.”

The NWS office in Austin/San Antonio made ahead of the emergency management expectations on July 3, and issued the flood watch at 1:18 pm, and escalated to flash warnings at night and early morning hours, providing more than three hours of time before the floods reach critical thresholds.

NWS said Newsweek In a statement sent via e -mail that the first flood warning in the event was issued at 11:41 pm CT on July 3 to the Bandira Province, but he released the flood hours early from 1:18 pm on Thursday until Friday morning. NWS has issued subsequent warnings and a Flash Flash Flash Care Care in the early 4 hours of July.

The agency said that the WPC Center issued three rainfall discussions in the excessive rains in early 6:10 pm CDT on Thursday, indicating the possibility of a flash flood.

The first reports of the Chirriors Care County Office were in low water crossings, 201 for the deadline (4:35 am CDT). Flash flood warning has been upgraded to a flooding state in the south of the center of Kiir, including Hunt, early from 4:03 am on Friday.

Continuous recruitment challenges

NWS admitted the lack of continuous employment caused by the demobilization of federal workers and the early retirement developed by Dog.

As of early summer, the agency was working to fill in 155 vacant predictive functions, including 76 meteorology, some in stormy areas such as Texas. NWS has published temporary tasks and reset employees to compensate for critical operational gaps, while searching for candidates to fill the important permanent positions.

Despite these challenges, local NWS offices in Texas issued time warnings before floods. However, Faji highlighted the ongoing risks, saying: “WFOS (weather prediction offices) had the appropriate employees and resources because they issued predictions and warnings in a timely manner leading to the storm,” even when he noticed the vacant leadership roles that represent an ongoing problem.

The recent demobilization operations affected the employees through the departments of the National Department of Oceanic and Air Country (NOAA), including NWS and the National Hurricane Center. Earlier this year, actor Jared Hoffman, a Democrat in California, described the discounts as endangering the public safety by reducing the ability to predict weather.

A discussion raging online

Perhaps the most strange turns in the entire discussion occurred on X, previously on Twitter, where some users asked the platform artificial intelligence (AI), GROK, about the allegations that Doge Cuts might have exacerbated the problems facing NWS and NOAA. Musk, who ran Doge until his return to the private sector in late May, owns X and Grok regularly uses on the platform.

When a user asked Grock: “Did Trump and Douj contribute to Noha and the national weather service in the tragedy in Texas?” Artificial intelligence answered: “While Trump and Dog carried out significant discounts on NOAA and NWS in early 2025 – including 20 % of employee discounts and refreshing weather models – this expected accuracy is likely to be expected for the Texas extremist floods. Warnings were issued but reduced, and contribute to the tragedy.”

In another response, Grok said: “Not excuses-facts. Noaa began to start in DOGE in June 2025, including 10 % of parked employee discounts (for all Axios, PBS).

What people say

National weather service in a statement to Newsweek: “The national weather service is sad due to the tragic loss in Kiir Province. On July 3, the NWS office in Austin/San Antonio, Texas, conducted the expectations of the emergency administration in the morning and issued the flood watch early in the afternoon. Flood warnings were issued on July 3, and in the early morning of July 4, with preliminary times given more than three hours before the warning criteria were met.

He added: “The national weather service remains committed to our mission to serve the American public through our predictions and decision support services.”

“ Fahi said: “WFOS (weather forecasts) had sufficient resources and resources as they issued predictions and warnings at the appropriate time that led to the storm,” adding that unpaved leadership positions “are clearly a source of concern.”