CINCINNATI — Residents throughout the Cincinnati area — and nationwide, continue to voice concerns over the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), run by billionaire Elon Musk.
Protesters gathered at Washington Park Friday to "stand in solidarity with scientists" after recent cuts against federal departments. Among the speakers were Cincinnati City Council members Anna Albi and Meeka Owens.
Residents expressed frustrations about cuts to departments like the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
"There's a lot of funding for science agencies within the government that's being cut," said Chris Heckman, a volunteer for Citizens' Climate Lobby in Cincinnati.
Heckman said their group addresses the climate crisis and the impacts it has locally.
He said he's worried about the federal government interfering with science.
"I'm doing this for my kids," Heckman said.
Heckman said the Trump administration is painting a concerning picture with the recent cuts and layoffs made in the scientific community. He said he believes it could impact the information residents receive about the weather.
Hear more about how federal cuts could impact weather alerts you see in the video below:
"Everybody is impacted by weather," Heckman said. "Everybody needs to feel like they have the information they need to be safe."
No one agrees with that statement more than Nick Crossley, director of Hamilton County's Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
"We check the weather every single day," Crossley said.
Crossley said when severe weather rolls through the area they have a team that monitors the latest data and warnings. He said almost all of that information comes from the NWS, who they communicate with during those events.
"The information allows us to prepare and the preparation allows us to hopefully mitigate the impact of whatever the event is," Crossley said. "That backbone for all of us, both including the public sector and private sector, is the National Weather Service and NOAA."
Specifically, Crossley's agency works with the NWS center located in Wilmington. He said staffing at their office is stable but cuts across the country could make impacts they haven't noticed yet.
"They cover dozens of counties," Crossley said.
The Associated Press reported last week that roughly 10% of NOAA's workforce was cut by DOGE.
Crossley said those cuts could impact the information they receive during severe weather situations.
"That makes me really nervous as a public emergency manager," Crossley said.
As they prepare for tornado season, Crossley said he hopes funding can be restored so they can be ready to keep people safe. He said the information they receive from NWS impacts which tornado sirens are activated during severe weather.
"This impacts every single county in Ohio," said Crossley.
