WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — With hurricane season underway, Ocean Conservancy is sounding the alarm about proposed budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA recently requested $4.5 billion for fiscal year 2027 — a $1.1 billion cut from the prior year.
WATCH BELOW: NOAA budget cuts could weaken hurricane forecasting, nonprofit says
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
Ocean Conservancy Executive Director J.P. Brooker made a stop in West Palm Beach on Tuesday to highlight the critical services he says Florida relies on that could now be at risk.
"Without robustly funded meteorologists, equipment, sensing equipment, we run the risk of not being able to as accurately forecast hurricanes domestically, and we have to rely on outside sources, and that's not something I think any Floridian or American really wants," Brooker said.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, previous budget requests emphasized a "leaner NOAA that focuses on core operational needs, eliminates unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, terminates non-essential grant programs and ends activities that do not warrant a federal role."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Hurricane
Why NOAA is predicting a below-average hurricane season
Weather News
