Ann Arbor, MI — The 2026 federal budget proposal threatens to eliminate NOAA Research programs critical to Michigan and the Great Lakes, raising alarms over severe weather safety, hurricane preparedness, and Doppler radar coverage nationwide.
According to the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association, the proposed passback plan would dismantle NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) office, shuttering all 10 national weather research laboratories and 16 Cooperative Institutes. This includes the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, a hub for regional forecasting and water safety monitoring.
Eliminating NOAA weather research would reduce storm warning accuracy, delay hurricane tracking, limit wildfire smoke modeling, weaken tsunami alert systems, and halt seasonal outlook tools relied upon by farmers, energy providers, and emergency agencies. The loss of NOAA-supported Doppler radar research directly threatens tornado alerts and extreme weather forecasting across the Midwest and coastal regions.
NOAA also supports clean water research, water treatment tracking, and climate change monitoring in the Great Lakes region. Experts warn that without this scientific backbone, weather alerts and public safety communication will suffer significantly.
Advocates urge immediate action. Contact your representative today and demand continued funding for NOAA’s life-saving research:
To locate your representative, visit:
Now is the time to act.
