KY’s congressmen on cuts to the state’s National Weather Service offices
Much has been made of the National Weather Service’s capacity to forecast weather events following the devastating tornadoes that ripped through Somerset and London in southeastern Kentucky Friday evening.
The Jackson office of the National Weather Service, which covers most of the affected territory, is one of eight offices across the country that no longer has enough staff to work the overnight shifts.
Several of Kentucky’s Republican members of Congress said they aren’t so worried.
In response to a Herald-Leader inquiry on the matter, they stressed that the agency adequately responded to the disaster. Jackson was fully staffed Friday night due to “surge staffing” bringing others in from surrounding offices.
Rep. James Comer called criticisms of the overall staff shortage despite the full staffing of the office at the time “shameful.”
Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey warned the cuts could put the state in a tight spot, especially if surge staffing doesn’t work during an unpredictable extreme weather event.
The move to trim the National Weather Service is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to slash the federal workforce and cut government spending.
Since January, more than 600 people across the country have left the weather service either through terminations or early retirements. That’s the same number of people who left the National Weather Service in the previous 15 years, union officials have said.
The National Weather Service has been paying employees bonuses to move to particularly personnel-strapped offices. It cannot hire new employees because Trump has also issued a federal hiring freeze.
In Kentucky, this has had an impact on all three National Weather Service offices.
Jackson has seven vacancies. Paducah is also short seven staff. Louisville is short eight people, according to information provided by legislative director of the National Weather Service Employee Organization, a union that represents National Weather Service staff.
The Herald-Leader reached out to all eight members of Kentucky’s federal delegation on whether they have concerns about the staffing shortage in National Weather Service offices in the state and if they’d support the union’s request to lift the hiring freeze.
Only one member, McGarvey, directly addressed the hiring freeze.
Hal Rogers: I will ensure weather offices have funding
The majority of the damage to property and loss of life took place in U.S. Rep. Hal Roger’s 5th District near the cities of London and Rogers’ hometown of Somerset.
In a statement to the Herald-Leader, Rogers credited the National Weather Service staff with the work they put in to keep people informed.
“Had it not been for the incredible work of our meteorologists and the National Weather Service in advance of the storm, I fear our death toll would have been much higher,” Rogers wrote in a statement to the Herald-Leader. “I reached out to the National Weather Service before the storm and they confirmed that their team was working overtime to cover emergency warnings throughout the night and for the duration of the storm.”
Rogers is Dean of the House, a designation given to the longest continuously-serving member of the U.S. House. He’s held office for more than 44 years, and has gained a reputation for his keen interest in appropriations during that time. He served as House Appropriations Chair from 2011 to 2017 and currently is chair of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies.
The congressman added that he’d use his perch as chair of that subcommittee, which writes the budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency as well as the National Weather Service, to ensure weather offices have funding.
“As Chairman of the House Subcommittee that funds the National Weather Service, I will work to ensure that our weather offices have the funding and staff necessary to keep our people safe,” Rogers wrote.
James Comer: ‘Shameful’ attack on Trump
Rep. James Comer, whose 1st Congressional District stretches from West Kentucky all the way to Frankfort, represents Russell County, which saw one death due to the tornado.
Comer told the Herald-Leader in a statement that concerns about funding for the National Weather Service are poorly-timed political attacks.
“Reports confirm that Kentucky’s National Weather Service offices were fully staffed Friday night during the recent devastating storms,” Comer wrote. “It’s shameful that some are now using this tragedy to attack the Trump Administration and its commitment to ensuring the federal government operates efficiently and effectively.
“Our hearts are with the impacted communities, and I stand ready to work with Congressman Hal Rogers to support recovery efforts in Eastern Kentucky.”
Comer, formerly the state’s commissioner of agriculture, has risen to prominence in Washington as the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, leading inquiries into the former president Joe Biden’s family during his term.
The Monroe County native is widely seen as a potential candidate for governor in 2027, an office he pursued in 2015.
Morgan McGarvey concerned about NWS
Rep. Morgan McGarvey, the lone Democrat in the state’s federal delegation representing most of Jefferson County, urged the federal government to robustly fund the National Weather Service.
“As Kentucky continues to respond to and recover from a series of serious weather events, we must ensure the National Weather Service has the resources and personnel they need to keep our communities safe,” McGarvey wrote.
McGarvey is also concerned about the reports of staffing issues at Kentucky National Weather Service offices, according to an aide. The congressman would support lifting the agency’s hiring freeze and rehiring employees, they added.
Andy Barr backing DOGE
A spokesperson for Rep. Andy Barr had a response similar to Comer’s answer. He pointed out that the National Weather Service office in Jackson was fully staffed on Friday night and lamented that “some are using a tragedy to attack DOGE.”
Barr’s 6th Congressional District covers most of Central Kentucky, with Lexington at the center.
“The National Weather Service office in Kentucky was fully staffed on Friday night ahead of the tragic storm,” Barr’s communications director, Alex Bellizzi, wrote. “The NWS has roughly 4,900 employees for 122 National Weather Offices nationwide.
“Some are using a tragedy to attack DOGE, a team that is doing good and necessary work. We will be exclusively focused on working alongside President Trump and Congressman Hal Rogers to deliver whatever resources are needed to help Eastern Kentucky begin the recovery.”
Barr is currently running to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking reelection in 2026.
Trump has yet to weigh in on who he will support — Barr, former attorney general Daniel Cameron or another candidate not yet in the race — but his endorsement is seen as a decisive factor in deciding who will earn the GOP nomination.
Spokespeople for senators McConnell and Rand Paul, as well as congressmen Brett Guthrie and Thomas Massie, did not respond to a Herald-Leader request for comment as of noon Tuesday.
