Politics

NOAA Discontinues Billion-Dollar Disaster Database Amid Agency Downsizing

Published MAY 8 2025

Story

Above: Signage outside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. on Monday, March 3, 2025. Image credit: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Facts

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Thursday it will discontinue updates to its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database. The resource, which will remain archived, recorded 403 extreme weather events from 1980 to 2024, causing over $2.915 trillion in damage.
NCEI
NESDIS
The database’s discontinuation comes as NOAA faces workforce cuts, with over 880 employees laid off in February. The Trump administration has indicated that another 1,000 positions may be eliminated, potentially affecting up to 20% of the agency’s total staff.
FOX News
Los Angeles Times
NOAA also faces a proposed 27% budget cut for fiscal year 2026, with the White House seeking to reduce the agency’s funding from $6.1 billion to approximately $4.5 billion. Climate-related programs are among those expected to receive particular scrutiny.
Fox16
Living on Earth
Science
The National Weather Service, a division of NOAA, reports that 30 of its 122 weather forecast offices are currently without a meteorologist-in-charge. Over 55 offices — including those serving cities like New York, Houston and Tampa — have staff vacancy rates above 20%.
CNN
PBS NewsHour
The downsizing comes as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seeks to cut federal spending, with a recent report attributing 283,172 layoffs in the first four months of 2025 to "DOGE Actions." The department estimates it has so far saved $165 billion.
Challenger
U.S. Department of Government Efficiency
In an open letter last Friday, five former National Weather Service directors alleged that ending updates to NOAA’s disasters database, along with staffing cuts, threatens public safety and undermines long-term forecasting that relies on integrated climate data.
LinkedIn
Newsweek

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The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

The elimination of NOAA's Billion-Dollar Weather and Disaster database and broader agency cuts represent a dangerous dismantling of critical public safety infrastructure. These reductions will severely impact the nation's ability to forecast and respond to extreme weather events, potentially costing lives and billions in preventable damages. The cuts appear politically motivated, targeting climate science while ignoring NOAA's proven track record of protecting lives and supporting the economy through accurate weather prediction.

Los Angeles Times

Orlando Sentinel

Climate-skeptic narrative

The proposed changes at NOAA reflect necessary fiscal responsibility and a refocusing of the agency on core weather forecasting rather than climate advocacy. The Billion-Dollar Weather and Disaster database has methodological flaws, including inconsistent data collection and reporting, which have skewed damage estimates and fueled climate alarmism. Many of NOAA's functions can be handled more efficiently by the private sector, and cutting these costs will save taxpayers money while still maintaining essential weather services.