Bracing for Impact: Trump's Plan To Make Hurricanes Great Again

Abrupt Policy Shift Puts Lives at Risk

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the meteorological and scientific communities, the Trump administration has overseen the abrupt termination of a critical hurricane forecasting tool, raising serious concerns about the nation’s preparedness for what is expected to be an unusually active hurricane season.

The decision, which aligns with broader efforts to shrink the federal workforce and privatize public weather services, has left experts warning of increased risks to millions of Americans living in hurricane-prone regions.

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The Sudden Loss of a Critical Forecasting Tool

On June 24, 2025, the Defense Department announced it would cease processing and delivering data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS), a satellite instrument that has long been a cornerstone of hurricane forecasting.

This data, jointly managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Defense, provides real-time, MRI-like scans of hurricanes.

This allows forecasters to detect structural changes, estimate storm intensity, and accurately position storm centers—capabilities that are especially vital during the peak of hurricane season.

The termination, initially set for June 30 but extended to July 31 at NASA's request, was justified by the Department of Defense as a response to "significant cybersecurity risks."

However, the abruptness and timing of the decision, coming just as the Atlantic hurricane season enters its most dangerous months, have left many experts and officials scrambling for answers and alternatives.

A Blow to Hurricane Forecasting

The loss of SSMIS data is not a minor inconvenience—it is a seismic shift in the nation’s ability to forecast hurricanes.

Without these frequent, high-resolution microwave scans, the time between critical data updates will increase from a few hours to as much as 12 hours.

This gap dramatically raises the risk of so-called "sunrise surprises," where storms intensify overnight without detection, leaving coastal communities with little time to prepare or evacuate.

James Franklin, a retired branch chief at the National Hurricane Center, described the loss as a "big deal," warning that it would lead to increased errors in storm positioning and a cascade of forecast inaccuracies.

The SSMIS data is particularly crucial for detecting rapid intensification—a phenomenon in which hurricanes strengthen rapidly, often just before landfall.

Missing these episodes could have life-threatening consequences for residents in the path of a storm.

Inferior Alternatives and Strained Resources

NOAA has attempted to downplay the impact, pointing to other data sources such as the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) aboard its Joint Polar Satellite System.

However, experts are unanimous in their assessment that these alternatives are far inferior to traditional methods for hurricane forecasting.

The ATMS, for example, suffers from degraded resolution at the edges of its scans, making it unreliable for real-time storm analysis.

Compounding the problem, NOAA is already grappling with significant staffing reductions due to budget cuts and layoffs initiated by the Trump administration’s drive to reduce government spending.

These resource constraints further limit the agency’s ability to adapt to the loss of SSMIS data and maintain the high standard of public weather services that Americans have come to rely on.

Privatization and Policy Shifts

The decision to terminate SSMIS data is not occurring in a vacuum. Former NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad has linked the move to "Project 2025," a Trump administration initiative aimed at privatizing NOAA and the Weather Service.

Spinrad and other critics argue that the data cutoff is not only ill-timed and poorly planned but also serves the interests of private sector weather companies at the expense of public safety.

This policy shift reflects a broader trend under the Trump administration: prioritizing cost-cutting and privatization over maintaining robust, publicly accessible weather services.

The consequences of this approach are now being felt acutely, as the nation faces a hurricane season predicted to be more active than average, with an increased risk of rapid intensification events.

The Human Cost

The timing of the SSMIS termination could not be worse. With NOAA forecasting an above-average hurricane season, the loss of this critical data source leaves tens of millions of Americans more vulnerable to the impacts of severe storms.

Reduced warning times, degraded forecast accuracy, and the potential for missed rapid intensification episodes all translate into greater risks for life and property along the nation’s coastlines.

The scientific community has responded with alarm, warning that the decision will degrade not only hurricane forecasts but also other vital applications, such as monitoring sea ice in polar regions.

NASA’s request for a temporary moratorium on the data cutoff underscores the urgency and importance of the SSMIS data for both scientific research and public safety.

Conclusion

The Trump administration’s plan to "make hurricanes great again"—whether intentional or not—has set the stage for a potentially disastrous hurricane season.

By terminating a critical forecasting tool, slashing NOAA’s resources, and pursuing privatization at the expense of public safety, the administration has left the nation less prepared and more vulnerable to the growing threats posed by extreme weather.

As the peak of hurricane season approaches, the true cost of these decisions will be measured not in dollars saved but in lives and communities at risk.

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