Have Trump cuts impacted Fort Worth’s National Weather Service office? We asked them
Three employees at the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office have accepted early retirement buyouts amid nationwide job cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but these are not a result of the latest round of cuts this week, the office said.
In late February, hundreds of NOAA employees on probationary status were fired in Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts. Another round of cuts, more than 1,000 employees, came in March, according to the Associated Press.
The NWS Fort Worth office has not had anybody leave during this latest round of cuts. However, warning coordination meteorologist Jennifer Dunn confirmed that three employees have previously taken early retirement buyouts.
“We have had a couple employees take the opportunity earlier this year,” Dunn told the Star-Telegram on Thursday morning.
For NOAA employees who choose to take early retirement or voluntary leave, they have until Thursday, April 17, to file with the U.S. Department of Commerce. If employees go this route, they have until May 3 to be offboarded.
How many employees work at NWS Fort Worth?
Currently, there are 24 employees working at the NWS office in north Fort Worth.
Those employees range from forecasters, technicians and program managers, Dunn said. Also housed in the Fort Worth office is the West Gulf River Forecast Center, which employs around 15 people.
As of now, there are four vacancies at the NWS office, one of which was open before the NOAA cuts, Dunn said. The other three vacancies are from the employees who opted for the early retirement buyouts.
There were reports from local North Texas media earlier this year that a NWS technician was fired due to the NOAA cuts, but Dunn said that person kept their job.
“He retained his job,” Dunn said.
Are more cuts or buyouts on the way for NWS Fort Worth?
There may be additional changes coming in next few months, but Dunn said she does not know what those are or what it will mean for the Fort Worth office.
Nevertheless, Dunn said they are able to maintain and continue all functions of the office, including weather watches, advisories and forecasts. The Fort Worth office also plans to work within the larger NWS agency to assist other offices that may have lower staffing levels.
North Texans will need stay weather aware this weekend as severe storms are expected over Easter.
Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected from late Friday, April 18, to Sunday, April 20. Hail and damaging winds are the primary threats with these storms, along with a low tornado threat.
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 2:46 PM.
