The decision to cut off critical storm-tracking satellite data is under intense scrutiny as July arrives.
What is the Pentagon hiding? U.S. to stop sharing key hurricane data in middle of season
As peak hurricane season nears, the Pentagon is, not so quietly, preparing to pull the plug on a crucial stream of satellite data used by the country’s top weather forecasters, and no one seems to know why, other than more cost-cutting.
The imagery in question comes from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), specifically a microwave sounder known as SSMIS. Think of it as a 3D X-ray of hurricanes, revealing rain bands, wind shifts, and storm structure, especially at night or when aircraft can’t fly. It’s a vital tool for the National Hurricane Center, NASA, and anyone trying to predict how dangerous a storm might become. Not something you’d think authorities would want to be without, right?
When is the hurricane data being removed?
The Department of Defense originally planned to stop sharing this data with NOAA and NASA by July 1. After a reported last-minute appeal from a top NASA official, the cutoff has now been delayed until July 31. But that’s little comfort to meteorologists: August and September are when storms typically hit hardest, and no backup system is ready.
The abruptness has baffled insiders. A current NOAA staffer said the agency was “blindsided.” A former employee confirmed that both NOAA and NASA had no warning and no plan for the data loss. According to media reports, the Pentagon cited cybersecurity concerns as the reason for the shutdown, but hasn’t elaborated.
What’s most concerning is what comes after July. A new Pentagon satellite goes online in October, but there’s no formal agreement yet to resume sharing its data with civilian agencies. That leaves a dangerous gap in forecasting as storms gain strength over warm Atlantic waters.
For now, NOAA says it still has “many other data sources.” But with meteorologists already stretched thin after staffing cuts, the timing and secrecy of this move are raising more than just eyebrows.
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