The National Weather Service (NWS) is working to fill 155 critical vacancies as the hurricane season approaches, which begins on June 1. The agency plans to offer reassignment opportunities to qualified employees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who are currently working elsewhere, according to CNN.
The vacancies, described as “critical holes,” result from early retirements, firings, and other incentives during the Trump administration that led to over 560 departures from the NWS. The agency is still under a federal hiring freeze, making it challenging to fill these positions permanently. An anonymous NOAA employee described the reassignment effort as a “Band-Aid” solution.
The NWS is seeking to fill positions such as electronic technicians, IT specialists, hydrologists, and meteorologists. The vacancies span across the country, with significant needs in cities like Houston, Goodland, Kansas, and Norman, Oklahoma. The Houston office is currently without management staff, and the Goodland office has reduced its operating hours due to staffing shortages.
The NWS hopes to fill four top meteorologist positions, including one in the Spaceflight Meteorology Group in Houston. The agency is also looking to fill 22 physical scientist roles, 76 meteorology positions, 16 electronics technician roles, and 16 hydrologist positions.
The NOAA employee emphasized that moving people around is a temporary measure until a more permanent solution can be found. The NWS leadership has been trying to get the agency designated as a public safety department to be exempt from the hiring freeze.
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