National Weather Service Union Official Says Budget Cuts Could Cost Lives

Jon Jordan, News 9

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- With severe weather season around the corner, an employees' spokesperson at the National Weather Service is sounding the alarm. He said proposed cuts could cost people lives.

The 28 percent cuts are proposed over the first half of 2011-2012 fiscal year which means cuts of $126 million over six months. It's drastic cutting the agency said they were not prepared for.

"We were shocked it was such a drastic cut. We were absolutely shocked," said Bill Hopkins, the Executive Vice President for the National Weather Service Employees organization.

Hopkins said the cuts are coming at a time when Oklahoman's brace themselves for severe weather season and they are so deep, he said lives would be in jeopardy.

"If the government shuts us down and furloughs us for 30 days I can't say it any clearer. People will die," said Hopkins.

The furloughs would force the NWS to close offices around the country including Norman.

"I cannot imagine having say the Oklahoma City location closed and there is nobody there to issue a warning for tornados," said Hopkins.

But News 9's Chief Meteorologist Gary England, who has great respect for the National Weather Service, questions their motives.

"Lives lost, [those are] scare tactics. This guy is a professional scare man. He likes to scare people, that's his job to rouse all the troops up, scare them the end is near, the warnings will not be there, the forecasts won't be there. They'll be there," said England.

England added at a time of severe deficits, cuts are necessary even if it means the National Weather Service.

"In the private sector we live profit and loss, and lean and mean is a good thing and living within our means is good, so they may have to do a little more of that, but they'll still do a good job," said England.

Even if a worst case scenario occurred and the National Weather Service closed their Norman location for a period of time during a tornado outbreak, England said he and his team of meteorologist have the necessary equipment to continue to provide viewers with the most up-to-date forecasts and warnings.

The agency is asking legislators for the cuts to be reduced.