Despite coming off the costliest year on record for weather disasters in the U.S., President Donald Trump's budget calls for 8 percent cuts at the National Weather Service, including the elimination of 355 jobs at the agency, The Washington Post is reporting.
A total of 248 forecasting jobs would be included in the cuts, the newspaper said.
In all, the United States suffered economic damages of over $300 billion as a result of the weather in 2017, according to the Post.
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria alone are responsible for approximately $265 billion in damages, according to one estimate.
Trump's proposal instructs the NWS to cut staff to increase "flexibility within NWS' operating model" and "begin implementing a series of operational reforms aimed at increasing staffing flexibility to best match service demands with available resources," according to the Post.
The personnel cuts would save about $15 million, the newspaper reported.
But the NWS employees' labor union is steadfastly against the labor reductions..
"We can't take any more cuts and still do the job that the American public needs us to do — there simply will not be the staff available on duty to issue the forecasts and warnings upon which the country depends," said Dan Sobien of the National Weather Service Employees Organization.
Other proposed cuts at the weather service include: $15 million in the surface and marine observation program; $11 million to the tsunami warning program, and $14 million to the science and technology activities.
The budget proposal calls for a total reduction of $75 million at the weather service, the Post noted.
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