Neil Jacobs, tapped to lead NOAA, called for sharper forecasting tools and clearer public alerts, just days after flooding in Texas left more than 100 dead.

President Trump's pick to head NOAA — which includes the National Weather Service — will tell Congress on Wednesday that he wants to make the U.S. a weather forecasting leader. Why it matters: Neil Jacobs' nomination hearing arrives as Democratic critics question whether NWS staffing reductions hampered performance in the deadly Texas flooding — and whether proposed budget cuts will hinder the very forecasting improvements he's vowing.

The Department of Defense's announcement that it would end a weather-data sharing program surprised some climate watchdogs but forecasters assure it does not heighten risks.