Trump-imposed federal austerity will not impact the National Weather Service’s readiness for storms or other calamities in Micronesia, according to the NWS. This comes on the heels of national news reports about NWS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concerns about low staffing levels ahead of storm seasons throughout the country.
Guam, according to the reports, is dealing with the vacancies of four meteorologist positions at NWS. The Weather Forecast Office on Guam watches for, and provides critical services, during and even following several types of natural disasters throughout the Micronesian islands.
That shortage is not hampering, and will not hamper the agency’s ability to watch for and respond to disasters like typhoons, tsunamis, and earthquakes, NWS chief meteorologist Landon Aydlett said.
“Our forecasts and communications will continue, as will our collaboration with government partners across the Marianas and Micronesia,” he said.
The agency’s outreach efforts have appeared to have increased over the past several months, according to media releases from NWS Guam, and to Mr. Aydlett’s personal media appearances in the islands.
The reason NWS Guam cannot fill the vacancies with qualified meteorologists to help with the workload is the federal hiring freeze that applies to those positions, as well as many others across the agency since January, when the Trump administration came to power.
Despite the staffing shortage, NWS Guam is preparing to release the annual tropical cyclone outlook for the region by next week. The release is on time, according to Mr. Aydlett; an indication of his office’s ability to remain prepared and in a state of readiness even during workforce austerity.
