Will Hurricane Forecasts Get Worse? Inside the NOAA Budget Cuts

About this episode

This episode discusses the potential negative impacts of proposed NOAA budget cuts on hurricane forecasting and weather prediction accuracy.

Could hurricane forecasts actually get worse? A deep dive into the proposed 2027 budget cuts to NOAA and how eliminating key research could impact storm prediction, safety, and future forecast accuracy. Could hurricane forecasts actually get worse in the years ahead? The proposed FY2027 federal budget includes major cuts to U.S. science agencies—but one of the most important changes may be happening inside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In this episode of Meteorology Matters, we break down how the proposed elimination of NOAA’s research arm could impact hurricane forecasting, severe weather prediction, and long-term model improvements. While day-to-day forecasts may continue uninterrupted, the real concern is what happens behind the scenes—where research drives the next generation of forecasting accuracy. We explore: • Why hurricane intensity forecasting could improve more slowly • How U.S. weather models could fall behind global leaders • The role of research in tornado, severe weather, and seasonal prediction • What this means for Florida, the Gulf Coast, and beyond We also examine broader cuts across NASA, NSF, and NIH, along with a shift toward defense…

People in this episode

Host: Rob Jones

Topics covered

• hurricane forecasting
• NOAA budget cuts
• weather prediction
• severe weather
• research impact
• federal science funding

Keywords

• hurricane forecasts
• NOAA
• budget cuts
• weather models
• storm prediction
• research
• forecast accuracy
• severe weather
• federal budget

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NOAA, NASA, NSF, NIH

Places: Florida, Gulf Coast

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