Storm Warning: They Knew, But They Cut Anyway

By T-Paine

When nearly 100 people drowned during the July 4th floods in Central Texas, the storm wasn’t the only thing that had been forecast. For years, meteorologists and emergency planners had warned: the National Weather Service is crumbling.

So what did the ghouls at Fox News do when tragedy struck?

They pointed to a single detail — that “five meteorologists were on duty,” compared to the usual two — and screamed: “See? No budget cut problem here!”
Like always, they missed the damn forest for the dying trees.

This wasn’t about one room or five people on shift.
This was about a national system being gutted piece by piece.

What They Cut, What We Lost

Radiosonde Balloon Launches — Canceled or reduced across the country, cutting off vertical data vital for forecasting storm formation.

Regional Climate Centers — Closed in April after NOAA funding lapsed. These centers provide drought, temperature, and flood data to nearly half the country.

Open NWS Positions — Left unfilled. Dozens of weather offices in the U.S. are operating with less than 50% of necessary staff. Houston alone reported a 44% vacancy rate.

Flash-Flood Monitoring Equipment — Defunded in vulnerable flood zones like “Flash Flood Alley” — exactly where this latest disaster hit.

So yes — five meteorologists were on shift. But no, that doesn’t mean the system worked.
That means five people were doing the job of ten, with less data, less tech, and no regional support.

Texas Led The Way (Off a Cliff)

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a Trump problem. Texas politicians — eager to slash spending and cozy with developers — have long fought against public safety systems that get in the way of "growth."

They:

• Killed funding for floodplain mapping
• Let developers build in danger zones
• Gutted environmental protections
• Ignored meteorologists sounding the alarm for years

Then Trump followed suit nationally. And now dozens are dead.

The Water's Rising — And They're Selling Sand

This storm didn’t come from nowhere. It came from a planet heating up faster than the ruling class can spin their excuses.

More heat means more water in the air. More water means more extreme rain. Climate change doesn’t just bring fire — it brings flood.

But instead of investing in stronger forecasting, flood infrastructure, or clean energy, what did the GOP do?

They cut climate funding.
They mocked the science.
They told you to buy a bigger truck.

They laughed at climate activists. They ran ads about “owning the libs” with coal in their hands. And now they want you to believe it’s just bad luck when entire towns are underwater.

NOAA Cuts Have Been Happeneing Since Trump Took Office, Not Just the “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL”

These cuts aren’t new — they began under Trump’s second term when his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed NOAA funding and staff long before the national budget fight.

About 880 NOAA employees were terminated in early 2025, cutting nearly 7% of the agency’s workforce and shuttering weather balloon stations, climate labs, and regional research centers

Then came Trump’s deep budget proposal: a 27% cut to NOAA, wiping out the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and slashing $1.6 billion from climate and weather science — even as climate disasters grow more extreme

The result: fewer forecasters, less data, weakened disaster response, and growing risk — all while officials claim everything is fine. Fox’s lies about “five meteorologists on duty” ignore the full scale of the system collapse.

This was a dismantling, not a mistake — and it’s still happening, budget after budget.

This is What Deregulation Looks Like

This wasn’t an act of God. It was an act of government failure.

They didn’t forget to warn us.
They cut the teams who knew how to warn us.
They defunded the systems.
They ignored the patterns.
They dismantled the infrastructure that makes modern forecasting even possible.

This is austerity in action. This is what happens when billionaires get tax breaks and the rest of us get flash-flooded.

Trump Still Wants to Gut FEMA

Even after Texas flooded and lives were lost, Trump’s proposed budget slashed FEMA funding by nearly 25%. Yes — the agency responsible for disaster response. The one that coordinates evacuations, rebuilds communities, and literally saves lives when the waters rise.

This isn’t about “waste.” It’s about punishing blue states, about funneling disaster relief into private contracts, and about crippling the government’s ability to help you — unless you’re already rich.

He wants fewer rescuers. Fewer supplies. Fewer options. And more Americans drowning under “small government.”

Never Let Them Shrug This Off

Fox News can spin the staffing numbers all day. But we see the bigger picture.

The government chose to weaken warning systems in the face of climate disaster. Now they’re using twisted math to dodge responsibility for the bodies.

We don’t forget.
We don’t forgive.