NOAA Extreme Weather Database Shutdown after 45 Years

NOAA Extreme Weather Database Shutdown after 45 Years

Administration Actions on Climate Science and Data

Date: May 9, 2025

Recent actions by the Trump administration have significantly impacted climate science and data collection efforts in the United States. The administration has dismissed a large number of scientists working on the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment and ended the public database tracking the cost of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters. These actions are seen by critics as part of a broader effort to downplay the impacts of climate change and limit public access to relevant data, potentially hindering preparedness and understanding of climate risks.

Key Themes and Important Ideas:

  • Dismantling of Climate Assessment Infrastructure: The Trump administration dismissed nearly 400 scientists involved in the preparation of the 6th National Climate Assessment (NCA). This report, produced every four years and mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990, is crucial for informing federal, state, local, and private sector responses to climate change. The dismissal of such a large number of experts suggests the next NCA "may not be as extensive as the previous ones."
  • Impacting Public Access to Climate Data: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has retired its "billion-dollar weather and climate disasters" database, which has tracked the cost of extreme weather events since 1980. This database was a unique resource, drawing on proprietary and non-public data sources. Its discontinuation makes it "next to impossible for the public to track the cost of extreme weather and climate events" and replicate damage trend analyses, hindering understanding of the increasing financial burden of these events.
  • Broader Cuts to Climate-Related Programs and Agencies: The termination of the disaster database and the dismissal of scientists are part of broader staffing reductions and funding cuts within NOAA and other federal agencies involved in climate research. The administration's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes a "24% cut" to NOAA's spending compared to 2025, with plans to potentially "eliminate its research division and clos[e] its weather and climate labs."
  • Controversy and Concerns over Motivation: Critics view these actions as a deliberate effort by the Trump administration to undermine climate science and limit public awareness of its impacts. The article notes that the administration "has been laser-focused on killing programs and departments that are associated with 'climate,' whether they are actually tracking global warming and its e`ects or not."
  • Efforts to Preserve and Disseminate Scientific Work: In response to the dismissal of scientists from the NCA, two scientific groups, the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society, have announced plans to publish a special collection of climate scientists' work. While not intended to replace the NCA, this collection aims to "ensure the scientists' work can be accessed."

Supporting Quotes:

  • On the dismissal of scientists from the NCA: "After the Trump administration dismissed nearly 400 scientists who compile the nation's major quadrennial report on the impacts of climate change in the U.S., two scienti!c groups announced a plan to publish a special collection focused on the subject to ensure the scientists' work can be accessed." (CBS News, "After Trump dismisses hundreds of scientists...")

Avsnitt(206)

Hurricane Helene’s Toxic Flood Waters

Hurricane Helene’s Toxic Flood Waters

There’s a hidden danger of toxic chemical releases from industrial facilities during hurricanes. Limited disclosure requirements and insufficient public information about these risks leave communities unprepared and unaware of the potential consequences. Red tide has been detected in Pinellas County waters following Hurricane Helene. This poses an additional health risk for residents already dealing with storm damage and cleanup, as red tide can cause respiratory problems and potentially harm marine life.

4 Okt 20247min

Hurricane Helene - HAARP Engineered and Steered to Wipe Out a Town

Hurricane Helene - HAARP Engineered and Steered to Wipe Out a Town

Conspiracy theories circulate about Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida in September 2024 and wreaked havoc upon upstate North Carolina. Some theories claim the hurricane was intentionally manipulated to impact Republican areas, while others suggest it was engineered to clear land for lithium mining. We also examine theories claiming the hurricane was created or guided by technology, such as HAARP, frequency transmitters, or cloud seeding. While lithium is on the mind of conspiracy theorist, a real life quartz mining facility has been severely impacted by Helene, which could cause supply chain disruptions for weeks or months.

4 Okt 202410min

Hurricane Ian: Investigation Shows Homeowners Insurance Companies Not Paying Up After 2 Years

Hurricane Ian: Investigation Shows Homeowners Insurance Companies Not Paying Up After 2 Years

A 60 Minutes report on insurer fraud in Florida following Hurricane Ian shows that numerous companies have systematically changed reports in order to deny homeowners of up to 90% of the payment they deserve after catastrophic losses. It focuses on the claims of several licensed adjusters, who allege that insurance carriers were purposefully altering damage reports to reduce payouts to homeowners. These adjusters claim that their reports were edited by desk adjusters who had never even visited the damaged properties, reducing the amount of money the homeowners received. The report alleges that this practice was widespread, affecting many homeowners who were left with significant damage and insufficient funds to repair their homes… and are still awaiting justice even today. While these charges have been presented to the Florida Attorney General’s office, they have failed to prosecute 2 years after Ian struck Southwest Florida in 2022.

3 Okt 202411min

Asheville - Climate Change “Safe Haven”?

Asheville - Climate Change “Safe Haven”?

We explore the devastating floods that hit Asheville, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene, challenging the city's former reputation as a "climate haven." It explains that climate change is making intense rainfall events more frequent and severe, leaving even high-elevation areas vulnerable. Climate change is exacerbating flooding risks across the United States, including in Appalachia, where the terrain amplifies the impact of heavy rains. We also compare the recent floods to the "Great Flood" of 1916, highlighting the catastrophic devastation caused by heavy rainfall and emphasizing the historical context of similar events in the region. Damage from Helene is extensive, causing significant problems with infrastructure and prompting relief efforts as the full extent of the impact still remains unknown.

3 Okt 202410min

What’s Your Flood Risk? Tools to Help you Determine

What’s Your Flood Risk? Tools to Help you Determine

How to determine flood risk for properties in the United States. Yale Climate brings us tools and resources, categorized by the type of information they provide, and it critiques the accuracy and limitations of each. These tools are essential in an era of increasing flood risk due to climate change. We discuss the new Risk Rating 2.0 system implemented by the National Flood Insurance Program, which aims to ensure future payouts do not exceed premiums.

3 Okt 202411min

Hurricane Helene - Bomb after the Lull

Hurricane Helene - Bomb after the Lull

The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season began as a beast with Hurricane Beryl setting the stage for what was predicted to be an overactive hurricane season. With an August and early September peak season lull, forecasters were questioning the reasoning for the season bottoming out. Then intro Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a storm surge of 20 feet causing not only one of the highest surges seen in the state of Florida, but also some of the highest storm surge ever recorded in the Tampa Bay Area. As a weakening storm system, Helene continued to dump excess amounts of rain through parts of Georgia and Appalachia, causing serious flash flooding that has caused the death toll to spike in recent days as rescuers scramble to sift through the destruction. Some people are wondering how a warming climate may have been a factor in supercharging Helene

3 Okt 202411min

Populärt inom Vetenskap

p3-dystopia
svd-nyhetsartiklar
dumma-manniskor
allt-du-velat-veta
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
det-morka-psyket
rss-ufo-bortom-rimligt-tvivel--2
medicinvetarna
rss-broccolipodden-en-podcast-som-inte-handlar-om-broccoli
rss-vetenskapsradion
rss-i-hjarnan-pa-louise-epstein
bildningspodden
rss-vetenskapspodden
hacka-livet
rss-vetenskapsradion-2
a-kursen
rss-spraket
vetenskapsradion
sexet
paranormalt-med-caroline-giertz