WASHINGTON — Midafternoon on a late February day, a meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association in Norman received an email notifying them of their termination.
“I was just busily working away, and we got an email that said, you’re fired in an hour and 10 minutes,” the meteorologist, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said.
The first round of NOAA layoffs impacted about 800 NOAA employees nationwide, and their pay ceased that day. An anonymous employee who works for NOAA in Norman estimated that 15 to 20 employees were fired that day in Norman.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told OU Daily on Thursday about five or six employees were laid off in the initial cut at the National Weather Center. Cole, whose district includes the National Weather Center, said he is working to get more information about what was cut and what he can do to promote the needs of his district at the national Capitol.
“The National Weather Center, there’s only one of those — pretty dadgum good,” Cole said. “So I can pretty much defend the places I am and advocate expansion, but I can’t tell you we can protect every single thing.”
NOAA layoffs came as part of a series of federal cuts enacted by the Department of Government Efficiency, an organization headed by Elon Musk that seeks to reduce federal spending. The Department of Education and Department of Agriculture are among other federal organizations that have undergone cuts.
The meteorologist, who worked under NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research division, began their job last year.
“To work at the (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research division) was kind of my, let’s just say, goal in life,” the meteorologist said.
In January, the Fork in the Road Deferred Resignation Program offered federal employees the option to resign and receive pay and benefits through September. Some staff in Norman took the opportunity, the meteorologist said.
“The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes,” the Office of Personnel Management’s frequently asked questions webpage reads. “As a result of these changes (or for other reasons), you may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide you with sufficient time and economic security to plan for your future.”
Following the Fork in the Road offer, the workplace environment was “fearful” and tense, the meteorologist said. National Weather Center staff had anticipated the layoffs that came in February.
On their offboarding paperwork, the meteorologist wrote: “I was not fired due to performance issues, and I would gladly return to the service of the American people.”
Although probationary employees were cut first – meaning those who were either newly hired or underperforming – senior employees also worried about future reductions in force, according to the meteorologist.
That reduction in force came on March 12, and an additional 1,000 NOAA employees were laid off nationwide, according to the Associated Press. Cole said he doesn’t know how those layoffs impacted Norman because his office wasn’t informed about them, but they will continue to look into it.
The federal hiring freeze paired with the expected reduction in forces, will cause a lack of new employees being hired and trained to fill the roles of career staff when they retire, the meteorologist said..
“There not being very many younger folks to take on that information, and there’s a greater chance of a loss of institutional knowledge, aka methods and ideas being passed down throughout the (National Weather Center) and NOAA as a whole,” the meteorologist said.
As severe storm season approaches, operations at the National Weather Center have been hindered by slowed funding, the meteorologist said, and observations for weather models and warnings are not happening at full capacity.
“With severe season coming up, that’s the (National Weather Center’s) busiest time of the year,” the meteorologist said. “If we can’t do what we’re supposed to do during that time, I think that that’s kind of a big deal.”
As a Moore native, Cole said he knows the impact of severe storms, and he advocated for the National Weather Center to retain its lease after it was listed to have its lease terminated like many other federal buildings. Cole said it is his job to continue to defend NOAA by raising his concerns to the administration.
In a meeting last week, Cole said he suggested Musk talk to legislators before making cuts that will impact people in their congressional districts. Musk responded that DOGE will make mistakes, but work to fix them, Cole said.
“Nobody from DOGE has probably ever visited the National Weather Center; I’ve been there countless times,” Cole said. “I know the federal facilities in my district far better than anybody in Washington, D.C. does. So we will defend and advocate for them, we have under every other administration.”
The day after Cole spoke, severe storms ripped across the central and eastern United States, killing 42 people. Wildfires burned across Oklahoma over the weekend, killing four people and leaving over 140 injured.
Cole also said the federal workforce and national debt — which is currently over $36 trillion — are too large, and government overspending is driving inflation, so “tough calls” must be made. DOGE is doing the needed work to cut unnecessary spending, Cole said.
“I look at the overall picture, as well as the specific things, and my job’s to, if they’re making a mistake and we find out about it, to try and bring it to their attention and correct it,” Cole said. “We’ve been able to do that in a number of cases and we’ll continue to do it.”
On Thursday, a U.S. district court judge in California ruled fired probationary employees in some departments must be rehired, but the ruling did not include the Department of Commerce, which NOAA falls under.
Alison Gillespie, public affairs specialist for NOAA, declined to comment on layoffs, but wrote in an email on Thursday the bureau will continue to fulfill its mission and serve Americans.
“We continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission,” Gillespie wrote.
Abby Young is reporting with Gaylord News’ Washington bureau as part of a partnership with OU Daily. Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News, go to GaylordNews.net.
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd and Anusha Fathepure.
