CNN – Hurricane forecasters won’t have a valuable tool for this hurricane season.
For nearly five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been able to send a fleet of drone vessels into severe weather to gather information.
These small boats were developed by “Saildrone,” a California-based company, and can record harrowing videos during significant storms.
A NOAA spokesperson stated that “Saildrone” was unable to bid on a contract for this season.
Another anonymous NOAA source stated that it was due to an agency’s request for a proposal arriving too late, which was a matter of timing.
NOAA has been one of the many government agencies over the past few months targeted by the trump administration for deep cuts to funding and staff.
