My fear is that we’re going to look back 25 years from now and say, ‘This is when the progress stopped,’” one weather expert said.

Former federal officials and outside experts have warned for months that President Donald Trump’s staffing cuts to the National Weather Service could endanger lives.

Texas floodwaters send trees crashing into river on July 4 PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA Washington (AP) — Former federal officials and outside experts have warned

NOAA said it would stop collecting and distributing data from three weather satellites that it jointly runs with the Defense Department.

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.

Experts said the NWS did a good job warning about the flooding, but questions remain about whether the cuts played a role.

Representatives and experts discussed what they fear would be catastrophic and devastating possibilities that could occur with the proposed cuts to jobs and funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The first weather emergency alert sent by the National Weather Service with urgent language instructing people to "seek higher ground now" was sent at 4:03 a.m. local time.

Hurricane forecasters are at risk of losing a crucial tool because of military concerns surrounding the cybersecurity of a long-shared satellite system — the latest potential cut to federal weather science programs by the Trump administration.

The deadly Texas floods are drawing renewed scrutiny to Trump administration cuts at the nation’s weather and climate research agencies. A flash flood Friday unleashed water from the