Six Employees at NWS Quad Cities Office Dismissed

Six employees at the National Weather Service office in the Quad Cities have been dismissed as part of the Trump administration’s overhaul of the agency, which has seen the recent firing of hundreds of workers nationwide. 

The Quad Cities office of the National Weather Service is the same office that issues watches and warnings for the majority of the KMCH listening area, including Delaware, Dubuque, Buchanan, Jones and Linn counties. It’s also the office KMCH works closely with for daily weather forecasts and for guidance and information during the station’s severe weather coverage. 

Ray Wolf, a retired meteorologist with the Quad Cities branch of the NWS, says staffing shortages have been a chronic issue.

The NWS provides weather forecasts and warnings, and employs roughly 12-thousand people across the country. Wolf says they’ve faced hiring shortages, and the hiring freeze and dismissals will affect numerous day-to-day operations.

There is no confirmation about the extent of layoffs from the weather service office in La Crosse, which provides forecasts and severe weather coverage for the two northern counties in our listening area, Clayton and Fayette.

partial story courtesy of Radio Iowa