Rouzer’s NOAA Neglect: How He’s Putting New Hanover in Danger
When the federal government axed 880 NOAA jobs, it wasn’t about efficiency—it was a reckless assault on public safety, stripping New Hanover County of the scientists and forecasters who predict hurricanes, issue life-saving warnings, and track rising sea levels. These cuts mean slower storm response, weaker evacuation planning, and more communities caught off guard when the next hurricane barrels toward the coast. NOAA isn’t some abstract agency; it’s the only thing standing between preparedness and disaster. And where’s David Rouzer? Silent. He sits on committees that oversee infrastructure and environmental policy, yet he’s watching his own district lose the very experts who keep it above water—literally. Maybe he’s waiting to show up for the post-storm photo op, handing out bottled water after ignoring the policies that could have prevented the crisis in the first place. Hurricanes don’t wait, and neither should his constituents when it’s time to vote.
New Hanover County doesn’t get to ignore climate data and storm tracking. NOAA’s forecasters are the difference between an orderly evacuation and a community blindsided by disaster. Fewer meteorologists mean weaker predictions, slower emergency response, and more lives at risk. Hurricane seasons aren’t easing up, and slashing the agency responsible for preparing us is nothing short of sabotage. Rouzer sits on committees that should make him a champion for these resources. Instead, he’s watching from the sidelines, unwilling or uninterested in protecting the people he claims to represent.
Storm forecasting is just part of the damage. NOAA tracks rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and climate shifts—problems that hit New Hanover County first and hardest. Fewer scientists mean fewer updates on flood risk, fewer warnings for infrastructure planners, and more developers pretending that the ocean isn’t creeping closer every year. Wetlands that once softened the blow of hurricanes are vanishing, saltwater is seeping into farmland, and drinking water is being contaminated—none of which will fix itself just because politicians stop funding research. Rouzer has spent years pushing policies that let corporations off the hook for environmental damage, so it’s no surprise he’s fine looking the other way while the agency that tracks these disasters gets dismantled.
The administration calls these layoffs an "efficiency" move. That’s a lie. This is a calculated gutting of America’s ability to prepare for climate disasters. Cutting NOAA doesn’t make government run better—it makes it blind. North Carolina’s coastal communities will pay the price first. When the next hurricane barrels toward Wilmington, how much warning will we have lost? How many lives will be at risk because politicians like Rouzer decided science wasn’t worth funding?
Rouzer’s silence isn’t just a failure—it’s negligence. He has no problem showing up for press conferences after a storm, but when it comes to fighting for the resources that could protect his constituents before disaster strikes, he’s nowhere to be found. New Hanover County deserves leadership that takes preparedness seriously, not a politician who lets his district drown while he collects campaign checks. His constituents should remember that the next time he asks for their vote.
Hold Rouzer accountable. Call 910-395-0202 and DEMAND ANSWERS!