Nearly half of National Weather Service offices are critically understaffed amid surge in severe weather

After Trump administration job cuts, nearly half of National Weather Service forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates — twice that of just a decade ago — as severe weather chugs across the nation’s heartland, according to data obtained by The Associated Press.

Detailed vacancy data for all 122 weather field offices show eight offices are missing more than 35% of their staff — including those in Arkansas and Kentucky where tornadoes and torrential rain hit this week — according to statistics...