NOAA Cuts Kill 27 Texans as Commerce Secretary Fired 880 Forecasters

At least 27 people died in catastrophic Texas flooding on July 5, 2025, as forecasters struggled with reduced staffing after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick fired 880 National Weather Service employees earlier that year. Meteorologists and emergency managers said warning lead times were dangerously compressed because forecasting offices were operating with skeleton crews. The deaths occurred across Central Texas flash flood zones.