Kaitlan Collins: Two Texas NWS Offices Are ‘Missing Key Staff Members’

EXCERPT:

COLLINS: "CNN is learning tonight that critical flood warnings were transmitted to mobile devices in key areas during the early morning hours of July 4th. Those alerts hit devices near the Guadalupe River between 1:14 A.M. and 5:34 A.M., but they may not have been received by some phones because of bad cell reception, as CNN is also reporting that two National Weather Service offices most involved with forecasting and issuing flood warnings in the region did release a slew of watches and warnings in the lead-up to those flash floods, but those offices are also missing some key staff members. According to the NWS website, several leadership roles and meteorologist positions in those offices are vacant. And according to Reuters, the meteorologist once in charge of coordinating warnings with local officials at the San Antonio National Weather Service office, Paul Yura, accepted an early retirement offer from the Trump Administration earlier this year. That has led to the top Democrat in the Senate calling for an investigation tonight into federal staffing cuts and shortages at the National Weather Service, which has been hard-hit by personnel cuts under the Trump Administration. Though there are questions, it may not have significantly affected the forecast in the warnings for this historic and deadly flooding.”