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Senate bill would reduce number of NWS forecasting offices to six

A bill recently introduced in the US Senate would consolidate all National Weather Service forecasting operations into six regional offices.

Currently, more than 120 forecasting offices are spread throughout the country.

The bill's author, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), believes the National Weather Service Improvement Act "would improve the public's access to quality forecasting and reduce the danger of local staff being overwhelmed during severe weather outbreaks," according to statements he made to the Washington Post.

But Dan Sobien, President of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, disagrees.

He told KRMG Wednesday that if anything, there should be more forecasting offices.

"The person that knows that climate, that knows that weather, is sitting right there in that city. And to move them somewhere else, to have your forecast come out of Houston, or Dallas, or Chicago or wherever, makes no sense."

Moreover, he says it will cost taxpayers a lot of money.

"I think it's going to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars," he told KRMG.

That would include the cost of building the six forecasting centers, plus moving personnel and their families from across the country, and as far away as American Samoa, and relocating them to the regional centers.

Sobien pointed out that Thune is Chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and can fast-track his bill.

But, he's hopeful it won't make it very far.

"There's been no hearings, there's been no feasilbilty studies. I would hope that it doesn't have much of a chance to go forward," he told KRMG.

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