The two massive tropical systems swirling off the Southeast coast are a stark reminder that the potential government shutdown looms during the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and disaster response specialists at the Federal Emergency Management Agency are planning to keep working during the shutdown — as has been the case in previous shutdowns — but a lapse in government funding is still likely to disrupt storm preparedness and response efforts for hurricanes and other disasters, experts told CNN.
Both NOAA and FEMA are entering the shutdown in weakened states, having shed experienced staff since the start of the Trump administration. At the National Weather Service, which is part of NOAA, managers are working to plug gaps in staffing by hiring new forecasters and moving some meteorologists to particularly short-staffed offices.
The hiring process, however, is proving to be agonizingly slow, with the first job offers for seve
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