Hundreds of people working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently learned they're losing their jobs, part of the Trump administration's ongoing spending and workforce reductions.
The terminations included staff at the National Weather Service, according to NPR.
The federal government plays a big role in weather forecasting and communicating dangers, such as when a hurricane is expected to hit parts of Florida.
RELATED: Trump administration layoffs hit NOAA
On "The Florida Roundup," Tom Hudson spoke with Florida Public Radio Emergency Network chief meteorologist Tim Miller, who said the government allocates the money necessary to provide weather modeling and radar locations for NWS offices.
Modeling is the development of forecasts using computer simulations that are generated with mountains of weather data.
"Whenever you go in the morning, the first thing you pick up is your telephone, you look at your weather app and it says the temperature and you look at the radar and the satellite — all of that comes from the National Weather Service," Miller said.
Why is weather modeling done by the NWS?
Miller said the NWS is the sole U.S. provider of weather modeling, and there are multiple reasons why it's centralized by the government.
One reason is that there needs to be one entity responsible for issuing watches and warnings, he said.
"Imagine if you know we all had the opportunity as meteorologists to issue watches or warnings, we all have a different opinion, and it would be chaos," Miller said.
Another reason comes down to money. Miller said weather modeling is very expensive, including the need for satellites. There are meteorologists pouring over all types of data from those satellites, buoys out in the Atlantic, weather balloons and other sources.
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"The private sector doesn't have that type of capital to be able to do that to where the federal sector does, of course, through tax dollars," Miller explained.
The data are vital information to make a correct forecast, and Miller said the government can provide the funding for weather technology that continues to improve.
One example is radars, which allow meteorologists to stay ahead of storms. A few years ago, in Mayfield, Kentucky, meteorologists were able to track a tornado signature on a radar for over an hour. Miller said that before the technological advancements, they would not have been able to see the funnel except for a minute warning.
'Not just for television'
But it's not only television stations or radio that have meteorologists using NWS to provide valuable information.
"Meteorologists are not just for television broadcast," Miller said. "The (Federal Aviation Administration) uses meteorologists all the time. Oil companies use meteorologists for their offshore rigs and make sure the weather is fine there."
Miller added that even insurance companies use meteorologists. All the information they're getting comes from the weather service. He said that there are very few companies that have their own modeling that's different from NWS because of the expense.
Another key federal investment, particularly in Florida, is the National Hurricane Center, a division of the weather service. Miller said weather modeling and other advancements have allowed for more accurate forecasting to lessen unnecessary warnings or evacuations.
"Think of the businesses that would lose money, the chaos and the panic and the anxiety that it would cause," Miller said about an unneeded evacuation. "Because of that technology, especially here in Florida, it has just been an absolute blessing for all of us."
Potential 2025 hurricane season outlook
According to a February report from NOAA, the hurricane center's 2024 forecast track performance was the best in history. However, errors for predicting intensity were a bit higher than normal.
Miller said that there are multiple factors, as weather is fluid and not an exact science — especially when it comes to hurricanes.
RELATED: Fears over hurricane forecasting as scientists are laid off at NOAA Florida office
He said it's a bit early to predict this year's hurricane season, but the water temperature in the Pacific Ocean gives an idea.
"For us, right now, we're looking at it maybe at this point a neutral season," Miller said. "So that gives us an idea that we could pretty much rather be on average."
But regardless of what happens this year, Miller emphasized that it's important to focus more on the intensity of the storm and its characteristics — like storm surges — than the category it's in.
Hurricanes are categorized by wind speed using the Saffir-Simpson scale. The categories range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most severe.
"I want everyone to forget this category business," Miller told Hudson. "The only thing that separates a Category 4 from a 5 is 1 mph wind speeds, right? So, does that really make a difference? No. In fact, I've seen so much damage done by a Cat 1 hurricane that a Cat 3 didn't do."
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Tom Hudson for "The Florida Roundup."
