Days after the National Hurricane Center announced it broke records for track forecasting during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA was hit by the latest round of federal layoffs.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the federal agency that forecasts weather across the U.S. and provides free and comprehensive hurricane coverage, among other duties.

The agency lost more than 880 probationary employees Thursday in the latest wave of federal firings, with possibly more to come.

Here's what that means for Florida residents, who regularly refresh the National Hurricane Center's website during hurricane season, especially when a storm looks to be headed our way.

How many people were fired at NOAA? Are more layoffs coming?

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, confirmed about 880 employees were being terminated, about 7.3% of the agency's 12,000 staff members.

Like the others, NOAA officials were told to fire “everyone on probationary status,” said Andrew Rosenberg, a marine scientist who is co-editor of the SciLight newsletter on Substack, and a former deputy director of NOAA's Fisheries Service.

NOAA executives have been told the next wave, a reduction in work force ordered by President Trump's administration, should include more than 1,000 additional employees , Rosenberg said.

Will NOAA layoffs affect hurricane forecasts?

That's unknown at this time.

"Per long-standing practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management matters," said Susan Buchanan, with National Weather Service public affairs, in an email Friday morning.

"NOAA remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation’s environmental and economic resilience. We continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission."

Commenting on the firings, Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is a "big supporter of the DOGE effort," but acknowledged that in Florida "hurricane season is just kind of our ground zero for emergency situations."

"I think you’re going to see it be okay with the National Hurricane Center I really do," DeSantis said.

What Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said after NOAA employees fired

DeSantis, whose term as Florida governor ends in 2026, talked Friday about the DOGE layoffs of NOAA employees.

"I will say I think that the National Hurricane Center down here in Miami has done an admirable job. They don’t always get it right but they’ve gotten some ones pretty doggone good in more recent years. And I know those folks work really hard," DeSantis said.

DeSantis has started a Florida version of DOGE and said he's supportive of what's happening overall, but acknowledged the importance of hurricane forecasting.

"I think you’re going to see it be okay with the National Hurricane Center, I really do," DeSantis said. "Because I know it’s an important part of what we do. It’s not easy to forecast these things, but I’ll tell you the last two hurricanes, Helene, they got that very good and Milton they got pretty doggone good too."

What does NOAA do?

NOAA oversees monitoring the world's atmosphere and the nation's weather and climate , including its most violent storms.

The staff forecasts and tracks tornadoes, hurricanes, and extreme rainfall events, and is also responsible for predicting solar storms and protecting the fish, crabs, and other species that help feed the nation.

It's responsible for monitoring, researching, and forecasting weather and climate, maintaining a fleet of satellites and research aircraft and vessels, and overseeing the oceans, coasts, and marine species.

NOAA was organized in 1970 under President Nixon.

How is the National Weather Service connected to NOAA?

Why were NOAA personnel fired?

The White House has said federal job cuts are a part of Trump's commitment to "reducing the size and scope of the federal government."

National Hurricane Center 'broke records' for hurricane track accuracy in 2024

In a report issued Monday, Feb. 24: NOAA and the National Weather Service released a preview report of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)