In a stunning reversal, the Pentagon said it will uphold a longstanding program that supplies critical hurricane data to federal forecasters—just days before it was set to end. The move follows outcry from meteorologists and public officials blindsided by the planned cancellation at the start of hurricane season.
In June, the Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) announced it was shutting down the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program by Thursday, July 31. DMSP weather satellites are owned by the Department of Defense (DoD) and have provided storm data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since the 1960s. The announcement sparked outrage among weather officials preparing for an active hurricane season, which had only just begun. Then, on Wednesday, July 30, the Navy told ABC News that it will keep the program going for another year.
“After feedback from government partners, officials found a way to meet modernization goals while keeping the data flowing until the sensor fails or the program formally ends in September 2026,” the Navy stated. NOAA confirmed the change in a statement emailed to Politico: “There will be no interruption to DMSP data delivery and NOAA will continue to have access to data from DMSP for the duration of the Program’s life span.”
Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components
