Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling for a federal investigation into whether staffing shortages at key National Weather Service (NWS) offices contributed to the catastrophic flooding that killed dozens of people in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.
In a letter sent July 7 to the Commerce Department’s acting inspector general, Schumer urged an immediate probe of vacant forecasting and coordination roles at the NWS offices in San Antonio and San Angelo, Texas, which oversee the affected region.
“The American people deserve answers,” Schumer wrote. “To honor the lives of those lost, we have a responsibility to the American people to determine if preventable failures contributed to this tragedy—and to ensure that it never happens again.”
Flash floods swept through Kerr County and surrounding areas on July 4, killing at least 90 people, including at least 27 children. A private summer camp on the Guadalupe River confirmed that 27 campers and counselors died when cabins were inundated.
President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on July 6 and said he plans to visit the area later this week. The White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have deployed resources to assist in recovery, while both the president and the White House Faith Office have urged Americans to pray for the victims.The NWS has continued to issue warnings for the region. On July 7, the agency warned that an additional two to four inches of rain—or isolated amounts of up to 10 inches—could fall on already saturated areas, threatening more flash floods.
According to Schumer, unfilled roles at the local NWS offices included a warning coordination meteorologist, science officer, and hydrologist—positions responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water, and coordinating directly with emergency managers.
The letter cited a New York Times report stating that the national vacancy rate at NWS offices has roughly doubled since the Trump administration returned to power, in part because of early retirements and a hiring freeze. The report cited Tom Fahy, legislative director for the NWS Employees Organization.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the NWS Employees Organization for comment on the reported staffing vacancies.The Department of Homeland Security has updated the death toll from the flooding to 91 victims, Leavitt said, and the Trump administration is working “hand in glove with state and local officials to provide every assistance available.”
Leavitt criticized what she called “falsehoods” from Democrats such as Schumer, saying they are depraved lies that serve “no purpose during this time of national mourning.”
The press secretary said the NWS in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, conducted their forecast briefings for emergency management and issued a flash flood watch and flash flood warning the night before the incident.
“The National Weather Service office in New Braunfels, which delivers forecasts for Austin, San Antonio, and the surrounding areas, had extra staff on duty during the storms, despite claims of the contrary,” Leavitt said.
Schumer asked the inspector general to determine whether staffing shortfalls contributed to delayed warnings or coordination issues with local officials. He also requested a nationwide assessment of NWS vacancies and their potential threats to public safety.
The NWS defended its performance in a statement issued July 6, saying it provided forecasts and coordinated with emergency managers before, during, and after the storm. Local meteorologists confirmed that the office issued multiple flood alerts July 3 and July 4, although some experts said warnings may not have reached residents in time.
A top leadership role at the San Antonio NWS office—warning coordination meteorologist—was vacant at the time of the flood, according to Reuters. Paul Yura, who previously held the position, retired earlier this year after accepting an offer from the Trump administration’s cost-cutting initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency. The office’s science and operations officer also left in April. Both roles are key in building trust with local officials and training new staff.
The NWS also told The Epoch Times in an email July 7 that its Austin/San Antonio and San Angelo forecast offices, as well as its West Gulf River Forecast Center, had extra personnel on duty during the July 4 weekend flooding in central Texas.NWS Public Affairs Specialist Erica Grow Cei wrote in an email that all forecasts and warnings were issued in a timely manner, and that NWS provided decision support services to local partners, including emergency management officials.
President Donald Trump, when asked on July 6 whether federal cuts contributed to NWS staffing shortfalls or affected the disaster response, told reporters: “This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people there, and they didn’t see it.”
Schumer wrote that the inquiry should identify how long the positions have been vacant, whether the offices are currently equipped to respond to future weather threats, and whether any internal warnings were shared with federal agencies or Congress in advance of the disaster.
The Department of Commerce has not publicly responded to Schumer’s request for an investigation and did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times. Schumer’s office did not respond to a request for comment before publication time.
Jack Phillips, Reuters, and Savannah Hulsey Pointer contributed to this report.
