Hawaii, remote and surrounded by ocean, is particularly vulnerable to damage from hurricanes, tsunami, floods, drought, destructive winds and fire. These unique perils make monitoring the weather an essential service.
The National Weather Service (NWS), Central Pacific Hurricane Center and Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, all federal agencies administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), study and predict the atmospheric and oceanic phenomena that make up weather, including hurricanes, and stand watch for tsunami. The early notice of incoming threats these agencies provide saves lives, and a breakdown in the system threatens them.
Now, however, the Trump administration’s aggressive, indiscriminate depopulation of federal agencies including NOAA threatens the islands’ stability, safety and future prospects.
Hawaii’s public officials and voters must insist on an immediate reversal of those federal cuts that diminish Hawaii’s preparedness and resilience, reduce access to ocean and atmospheric research, or weaken protections for marine life and ocean habitats.
Last week, more than 800 NOAA employees were cut loose by the federal administration. Among the targeted: NOAA, NWS and Pacific Tsunami Warning Center staffers in Hawaii. An additional estimated 500 employees left the agency Friday after taking a deferred-resignation offer. Alarm erupted from scientists, emergency and defense officials, farmers and aviators, all of whom depend on the agency for rapid access to accurate weather and climate information.
“Lives are at risk for sure,” said Adm. Tim Gallaudet, who had been appointed acting NOAA chief by President Donald Trump during his first term. On Friday, Gallaudet told the Associated Press the firings would “affect safety of flight, safety of shipping, safety of everyday Americans.”
The NWS routinely collects weather data and consistently updates daily forecasts, advising authorities and issuing warnings as needed through Honolulu’s NWS forecast office. This essential service feeds into Hawaii’s state and local emergency response agencies, assisting as they work to anticipate and respond to rain, drought, flooding or erosion.
Building on its expertise in weather science and forecasting, NOAA’s activities include participation in the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research and the Hawaii Coastal Use Mapping Project, partnering with the Hawaii Office of Planning.
NOAA coordinates with the state’s conservation agencies to monitor and protect Hawaii’s whales, dolphins and federally endangered Hawaiian monk seals. It supports sustainable management and protection of corals, coral reefs and other marine life. And since 2006, its Marine Debris Program has removed 36,000 metric tons of ocean trash from U.S. waters, including debris endangering marine life in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
As islanders well know, the coastal areas and waters near Hawaii need more attention — more debris removal, more atmospheric study, ocean protections and climate research. The cuts to NOAA, based on employees’ probationary status rather than any analysis of value and productivity, threatens all of these endeavors.
Beyond seeking to restore essential services, Hawaii’s leaders must also be on high alert to preserve operations and access to information that are essential to the state’s safety and preservation — prime among them weather forecasting. The state’s emergency hiring program for staffers in essential roles may fill some gaps, but it can’t replace all that’s under threat.
NOAA’s scope and essential partnerships, funded with taxpayer dollars, strengthen Hawaii. The state must not accept actions that harm and weaken us.
