NOAA Nominee Grilled After Deadly Texas Floods

Neil Jacobs, President Trump's nominee to lead NOAA, testified before the Senate following deadly Texas flash floods that killed over 100 people, including 27 children and a counselor at Camp Mystic. The hearing, led by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, focused on improving emergency weather alerts and ensuring timely warnings, particularly during overnight hours. Jacobs, drawing on his own experience surviving a tornado thanks to NOAA alerts, emphasized the need to modernize communication and weather radio systems. He faced questions about proposed budget and staffing cuts to NOAA, with Democrats voicing concerns about potential impacts on weather services and climate research. Jacobs defended the budget, stating essential operations would remain funded and some research efforts are moving to operational services. He pledged to prioritize staffing and technological innovation to enhance public safety if confirmed.