Summary

The National Weather Service (NWS) did not perform any documented risk analysis to support its decision to close its southern regional headquarters office in Fort Worth, Texas. Speeding the closure of this office was one of several steps that NWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration took to deal with an estimated $47 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 1997. Weather service users have raised concerns about whether the closure would adversely affect weather services and jeopardize public safety and the protection of property. Although several alternatives were proposed by NWS regional officials to maintain the existing regional structure, headquarters officials rejected these proposals because they did not meet the agency's overall staffing targets for the regions. Because of uncertainties surrounding NWS' funding, the Secretary of Commerce recently announced that a decision to close the southern regional office would be postponed for 60 days to give outside experts an opportunity to review NWS' budget and operations.

GAO noted that: (1) NWS did not perform any documented risk analysis to support its decision to close its southern regional headquarters office; (2) accelerating the planned closure of this office was one of several actions taken in response to a budget shortfall estimated by both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NWS to be about $47 million for fiscal year 1997; (3) while acknowledging that no risk analysis was conducted, NWS officials stated that, on the basis of their professional judgment, no degradation of service would occur from the closure because the southern region's responsibilities would be transferred to other regional offices; (4) weather service users have raised concerns, however, including whether the closure would adversely affect weather services and jeopardize public safety and the protection of property; (5) several alternative strategies for maintaining the current regional structure were proposed by NWS regional offices; (6) headquarters officials rejected these strategies primarily because they did not meet the agency's overall staffing targets for the regions; and (7) because of uncertainties surrounding NWS funding, the Secretary of Commerce announced on June 25, 1997, that a decision to close the southern regional office would be delayed for 60 days, to give outside experts an opportunity to complete a review of NWS' budget and operations.