Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) asked whether unfilled National Weather Service roles delayed flood warnings that might have saved lives.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling for a federal investigation into whether staffing shortages at key National Weather Service (NWS) offices contributed to the catastrophic flooding that killed dozens of people in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.
In a letter sent July 7 to the Commerce Department’s acting inspector general, Schumer urged an immediate probe of vacant forecasting and coordination roles at the NWS offices in San Antonio and San Angelo, Texas, which oversee the affected region.
“The American people deserve answers,” Schumer wrote. “To honor the lives of those lost, we have a responsibility to the American people to determine if preventable failures contributed to this tragedy—and to ensure that it never happens again.”
Flash floods swept through Kerr County and surrounding areas on July 4, killing at least 90 people, including at least 27 children. A private summer camp on the Guadalupe River confirmed that 27 campers and counselors died when cabins were inundated.President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on July 6 and said he plans to visit the area later this week. The White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have deployed resources to assist in recovery, while both the president and the White House Faith Office have urged Americans to pray for the victims.
The NWS has continued to issue warnings for the region. On July 7, the agency warned that an additional two to four inches of rain—or isolated amounts of up to 10 inches—could fall on already saturated areas, threatening more flash floods.
According to Schumer, unfilled roles at the local NWS offices included a warning coordination meteorologist, science officer, and hydrologist—positions responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water, and coordinating directly with emergency managers.
The letter cited a New York Times report stating that the national vacancy rate at NWS offices has roughly doubled since the Trump administration returned to power, in part because of early retirements and a hiring freeze. The report cited Tom Fahy, legislative director for the NWS Employees Organization.The Epoch Times has reached out to the NWS Employees Organization for comment on the reported staffing vacancies.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on July 7 that the NWS had a full staff on hand to handle the central Texas flooding over the weekend.
By Chase Smith
