Trump's NOAA pick lays out plan to improve forecasting, warnings
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NOAA nominee Neil Jacobs in 2019. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Trump's nominee to lead the agency that includes the National Weather Service said Wednesday it did a "great job" in Texas, but sees ways to improve forecasting technology and communicating hazards to the public.
Why it matters: Neil Jacobs, Trump's choice to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, appeared before a Senate panel days after fatal flooding in Central Texas killed over 100 people, with many more still missing.
- The Trump administration is proposing deep cuts to NOAA's budget that Democrats flagged at the hearing.
- It has pushed back on some Democrats' criticism of the Weather Service's initial forecasting and its staffing levels in Texas, and many meteorologists have agreed with Jacobs' assessment of its work there.
Driving the news: Jacobs told the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee that staffing Weather Service offices will be a top priority.
- "It's really important for the people to be there, because they have relationships with the people in the local community," he said.
- He added that "even if the forecast is perfect, getting the warnings to the people — particularly at late hours of the night — is a challenge."
Jacobs, a meteorologist who ran NOAA on an acting basis in Trump's first term, sees opportunities around using satellite-based communications and more.
- He also touted use of post-disaster assessments akin to what the National Transportation Safety Board performs for accidents.
- "We need the data to understand what went right, what went wrong, whether people got the warnings, if they did or didn't, and if they did, did they not understand them?" he said.
On forecasting, he cited advancements in data use and modeling in Europe. He also said modernizing the way the NWS distributes watches and warnings would be among his top priorities.
- "I think there's an opportunity to modernize NOAA Weather Radio, and then potentially also look at some satellite capability ... that wasn't really an option a couple of years ago."
Friction point: Sen. Maria Cantwell, Commerce's top Democrat, said proposed budget cuts would undermine the "core mission" of the agency — like slashing atmospheric research that's "critical to improving lead times and accuracy of information."
- Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, added: "Gutting NOAA is a costly mistake. Americans will pay the price through rising home insurance rates, destroyed communities, and in some cases, their lives."
What we're watching: Battles over budget and personnel at NWS, which has seen staffing cutbacks under the Trump administration.
