About a month after the National Weather Service (NWS) Office in Omaha/Valley announced it would suspend twice-daily weather balloon launches due to staffing shortages, it appears the balloons will soon return to the skies — as Rep. Mike Flood says the Trump administration is sending additional resources to the office.
Flood visited the office Friday to celebrate the decision. He said in a statement, after learning about the staffing challenges in March, “I took my concerns to the White House. The administration listened, and I’m pleased to say that weather balloons are back up in the air and staffing challenges are being immediately addressed.”
Those balloons collect an atmospheric snapshot by measuring information like temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed and direction and more.
In March, Suzanne Fortin, Meteorologist-in-Charge at the Omaha office, cited current and projected staffing shortfalls as the reason for suspending balloon flights. She said her office was operating at 50% staffing. Each balloon launch takes about 2 to 3 hours, which she said was time better spent on other in-office duties.
Around this time, Flood said he was in contact with the office, saying in a statement, “Through flooding, blizzards, tornadoes, and more, Nebraskans have relied on forecasts from the NWS and it is my hope to see the agency continue to serve Nebraska well for many years to come.”