Underwater and Understaffed: How NOAA Cuts Left Alaska Exposed to Typhoon Halong
On October 12, 2025, communities across western Alaska have faced devastating loss and destruction as a result of historic levels of flooding. Typhoon Halong, originating in the northern Philippine Sea, fueled this flooding as it swept the west coast of Alaska and caused over 6ft of water and 100mph winds to wreak havoc on Alaskan communities. Hundreds have been evacuated from affected areas by the Alaska National Guard, two people have been reported dead, and some still remain missing. Alaskan governor Dunleavy even signed an application for a Presidential Disaster Declaration, asking for this storm to be deemed a major disaster for Alaska by President Donald Trump nationally.
On October 10, 2025, Alaska Public Media reported on a possible severe storm with the potential to cause intense flooding and coastal erosion. It reiterated the National Weather Service’s warnings for the majority of the west and northwest coasts. Additionally, Rick Thoman, a climatologist from the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness, commented on the uncertainty of where the storm will exactly hit land and the extent of its impacts. Thoman warned that this storm appeared particularly dangerous, likely having 60-70mph gusts of wind in areas that do not generally get winds that powerful. He also stressed that the threat of flooding was far higher than previous storms, yet the difficulty of the forecast means that slight changes in the storm track could alter the water level at coastal cities greatly.
Ultimately, the final storm path and intensity were not clear until within 36 hours of entering Alaskan waters, too late for evacuations in many of the impacted areas. With winter approaching, Alaskans are having to face the difficult question of when to rebuild, leaving thousands displaced with no easy path to recovery. Especially after the Kerrville floods in Texas this summer and California wildfires last winter, the issue of adequate weather reporting and utilizing the National Weather Service has risen to the forefront of many debates. In addition to the Trump Administration’s enforcement of layoffs and cuts within the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) since the beginning of 2025, questions about the correlation between seemingly more extreme weather disasters and less money towards these services have been asked.
In February 2025, a wave of government-wide layoffs under the Trump Administration included staff at the National Weather Service and the NOAA began firing as a result. The NOAA monitors and provides forecasts for much of the country’s weather, including hurricanes, and updates maritime maps. The weather reports we read on our phones or the reports TV meteorologists use all come from data from the NOAA. Changes in the NOAA’s staffing brought up fear that weather forecasts could become less accurate or delayed, causing detrimental risks as seen in Alaska this week.
The NOAA’s most widely known offices include the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center. According to the NOAA, even a small reduction in the quality or amount of data being managed can severely alter weather prediction accuracy and modelling. As of August 2025, the research arm of the NOAA is set to have 14% spent on it than the level ordered by Congress. This includes “sweeping reductions to its next-generation geostationary weather satellites” and it remains unclear how further changes to the NOAA will continue to impact responses to future weather disasters.
