Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has called for an investigation into whether the lack of a tornado alert before deadly storms hit the state last week was connected to President Donald Trump’s funding cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS).
At least four people were killed and around 12 others injured after multiple tornadoes hit southwest Michigan on Friday, the Branch County Sheriff’s Office said.
Whitmer’s office said the NWS did not issue a tornado alert before the storms struck, and called for a federal investigation into why this happened.
“The National Weather Service exists to monitor conditions and inform Americans of severe weather in their communities,” Whitmer’s spokeswoman Stacey LaRouche said. “The fact that the (National Weather) Service did not issue a tornado watch is troubling, especially with the loss of life in Michigan.”
“While tornadoes can be hard to predict, the federal government should investigate whether the failure to issue a watch was related to federal cuts,” she said, according to the local outlet The Detroit News.
LaRouche was referring to cuts that Trump made last year, which saw at least 560 workers laid off or given early retirement incentives, according to CNN. A spokesperson told Newsweek at the time that the agency had to recruit people to “stabilize” the department.
Trump has previously denied that his cuts have had an impact on deadly events. When a reporter asked if he thought the government needed to hire back any of the fired meteorologists, Trump said he “would think not,” adding that there were “very talented people there.”
This is a developing story. More to follow.
