In the aftermath of the catastrophic flash floods that struck Texas, meteorologists have come forward to defend the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS).
They argue that these agencies performed their duties effectively during the disaster, even having additional staff on hand for the storm. This defense comes in response to accusations from Democrats that the Trump administration's cuts to these agencies contributed to the loss of life during the holiday weekend.
According to Breitbart, even mainstream media outlets such as the Associated Press (AP) have reported on the weather community's rebuttal of this narrative. The Democratic National Committee (DNC), however, has circulated memos suggesting that the Trump administration's refusal to fill key roles likely exacerbated the devastation and led to preventable deaths.
The AP quoted NWS meteorologist Jason Runyen, who stated that the agency's office in New Braunfels, which serves Austin, San Antonio, and surrounding areas, had more staff on duty than usual just before the flash floods occurred. "There were extra people in here that night, and that's typical in every weather service office you staff up for an event and bring people in on overtime and hold people over," Runyen explained.
The NWS not only issued a series of flash flood warnings but also initiated the initial flood watch the day before the disaster. The warnings became increasingly dire, culminating in a 4:03 a.m. alert for "the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life."
NOTUS, an outlet that described the NWS staffing cuts as "aggressive" actions by the Trump administration, also reported that the agency had extra staff on hand for the storm. Greg Waller, the service coordination hydrologist at the NWS West Gulf River Forecast Center, confirmed this, stating, "At the River Forecast Center, we usually close overnight unless there is a flood threat. We identified the threat and we increased overnight coverage and were staffed 24 during this event."
Despite the evidence from those who understand the science behind the disaster, left-wing ideologues continue to blame Trump. Anti-Trump author Seth Abramson, Harvard President Larry Summers, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), and actress Rosie O'Donnell have all pointed fingers at the Trump administration for the disaster.
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a timeline of the NWS's actions, stating that "the mainstream media is deliberately lying about the events leading up to the catastrophic flooding in Texas." The DHS maintains that the NWS executed timely, precise forecasting and warnings, despite the unprecedented rainfall overwhelming the region.
Despite the defense of the NWS, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged that the agency needed technology upgrades for better forecasts and warnings during a press conference with Texas leaders. "We know that everyone wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technology that's been neglected for far too long to make sure families have as much advance notice as possible," she said.
In the face of the partisan blame game, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) denounced the politicization of the disaster during a Sunday appearance on Fox and Friends. He urged people not to point fingers and instead focus on healing and recovery.
The evidence available from the NWS points to warnings going out on time warnings that unfortunately went unheeded by many. The tragedy of the Texas flash floods serves as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness and the need for improved alerting systems.
It also underscores the necessity of avoiding the politicization of natural disasters and focusing instead on the collective effort to prevent such catastrophes in the future.
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