Democrats urge for investigation of NWS due to Texas floods
(MENAFN) Following the devastating flash floods in central Texas that have claimed 104 lives, Democratic lawmakers in the United States are calling for an immediate inquiry into the impact of staffing shortages at the National Weather Service (NWS).
According to reports, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has requested that a federal oversight agency launch a formal investigation into whether unfilled positions at local NWS offices played a role in the high death toll and extensive property damage caused by the disaster.
Schumer emphasized the urgency of examining “the scope, breadth, and ramifications of whether staffing shortages at key local NWS stations contributed to the catastrophic loss of life and property during the deadly flooding.”
Reports indicated that two regional NWS offices in central Texas had crucial vacancies in both forecasting and emergency coordination roles at the time the floods hit early Friday morning.
"These are the experts responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water levels, issuing flood warnings, and coordinating directly with local emergency managers about when to warn the public and issue evacuation orders," Schumer said.
He further raised concerns about whether the lack of personnel may have resulted in delayed warnings, gaps in coverage, or reduced forecast reliability during the severe flooding around July 4.
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