September 3, 2025
Air Raid Panic to Informed Skies and Seas: The National Weather Service in a Nutshell
BY: Erin Vande Ven
In the early days of World War II, fear of an attack on U.S. soil was high. One February night in 1942, military radar in Los Angeles detected what was believed to be enemy aircraft off the coast. Alarms sounded, power was cut, and troops unleashed anti-aircraft fire across the shoreline. When the chaos cleared, there was no enemy fleet — just a false alarm, likely triggered by meteorological balloons drifting over the coast.
Those same balloons have long been essential tools of the National Weather Service (NWS), a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Since the late 1800s, when President Ulysses S. Grant authorized weather observations and storm warnings, NWS has been watching the skies — not just for storms over land, but also to protect our coasts and seas.
Today, NWS operates more than 120 offices across the U.S., processing 76 billion weather and ocean observations annually, issuing 1.5 million forecasts, and sending out 50,000 warnings that help keep people and wildlife safe. Its Marine Weather Service Program provides forecasts and warnings for U.S. coastal waters, the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and beyond — tracking everything from rip currents and dangerous swells to icebergs and tsunamis.
This is no small task. Folks on the water depend on this information to keep them alive. Commercial fishing is considered one of the most hazardous jobs in the country and severe weather is the number one cause of fatal accidents in this industry. On shore, rip currents, hurricanes, and associated flooding represent a large portion of weather-related deaths in the country.
From that tense night in 1942 to the present day, the mission has remained clear: to provide the information needed to navigate our waters safely, protect coastal communities, and safeguard the ocean environments we all depend on.
INFORMED SKIES AND SEAS: HOW DO THEY GET THEIR INFORMATION?
With a task as big as monitoring the weather and waves, the NWS does not work alone. Just about every other NOAA branch helps gather, process, and support the data that NWS uses.
This includes National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) for satellite imagery, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), which studies how weather works, National Hurricane Center (NHC), which tracks hurricanes, Storm Prediction Center (SPC), which watches for tornadoes and storms, National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) for historical weather records, and Aircraft Operations Center (AOC), which flies planes into storms to gather information — aka the hurricane hunters.
Another important source of information comes from the American public. Even you can help! Since 1965, Skywarn has trained over 300,000 volunteer storm spotters who can report real-time conditions during severe weather.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE INFORMATION THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GATHERS?
A forecast only helps if people hear it in time. The NWS works hard to make sure their data reaches everyone — fast and accurately. The NWS will take all the information they get from the other NOAA branches and use it to make sure Americans on land on the water receive the information in time to prevent tragedies. There are several different ways they do this:
NOAA Weather Radio (NWR): A public service that’s a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast weather information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They have over 1,000 transmitters and can even reach remote locations like Guam and American Samoa.
Emergency Alert System (EAS): If you do not own a NOAA radio device, you have likely still received information from NWS. Perhaps this will ring a bell: “This is a test of the Emergency Alert System…” followed by a very familiar and loud beep. Weather related alerts from this service come from the NWS.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): We all know these alerts, they’re loud, they vibrate, and impossible to miss.
Weather Apps: Most phones and devices these days have a weather function. Where does your phone get that information from? You guessed it, ultimately the data used is all from the NWS.
Broadcast News: The NWS works closely with news stations, which use NWS data and alerts during weather reports. They also partner with local meteorologists who explain storms using radar and NWS-issued warnings.
Fun fact: It is the only authorized agency to issue warning for life threatening weather conditions in the U.S. While a specific number is unknown, it is fair to say they have saved countless lives through their forecasts and warnings.
HOW DOES WEATHER ACROSS THE COUNTRY IMPACT US ALL?
The National Weather Service supplies up-to-the-minute forecasts and alerts that help drive our economy. From fishers and farmers to retailers and airlines, NWS helps them make smart decisions to avoid costly and potentially deadly weather disruptions and protect infrastructure like ports and roads. They also provide trends because people tend to act differently with different weather patterns. Take for instance, pumpkin flavored treats during autumn. The planning for your pumpkin scone begins long before the leaves start to change their colors. Suppliers have to plan their harvest with ideal weather conditions. Shipping companies need to get the pumpkin ingredients to retailers before the season begins, and this relies on accurate forecasting to predict transportation times. And finally, retailers need weather predictions to know when to order products. If there is a kink in this process, it will inevitably impact the amount of business to a retailer, which then can impact the economy.
Beyond tasty holiday treats, weather also costs the country A LOT of money. In the first half of 2025 alone, the U.S. faced a record $126 billion in losses from natural disasters. With accurate and timely forecasts from the NWS, people and communities can stay safe, reduce damage to property, and save billions in cleanup and repair costs.
CUTS TO NOAA
As budget and personnel cuts at NOAA continue to loom over the agency, it’s important to remember that each NOAA office is interconnected with one another. When you make cuts to one branch, you will undoubtedly impact all other offices, including the National Weather Service. Without NOAA, our oceans, Great Lakes, and coastal economies — and the people who rely on them — will suffer severe consequences.
Your representatives answer to you! Join Oceana and take action today to call on your members of Congress to save NOAA and its programs that are critical to our oceans, coastal communities, economy, and communities.
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