A devastating cross-country storm this weekend left at least 42 dead and vast destruction in its wake.

In the face of increasing tornadoes, hurricanes, and extreme weather, the U.S. needs strong disaster response agencies more than ever.

But instead of strengthening these critical services, recent mass layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and potential drastic cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are putting millions of American lives at risk.

Dr. Andrew Hazelton, one of hurricane scientists, said his job loss - and the thousands that have followed - are making Americans less safe. "That would lead to more damage, potentially, and more loss of life", he told the Independent.

As many as 800 NOAA employees—scientists, meteorologists, and disaster specialists—have been terminated. Those were scientists and specialists in weather, oceans, biodiversity, climate and other research and planetary monitoring fields - were learning how to predict the storms.

But that's not all: last week's reports stated that another 1,000 more workers at the already depleted weather agency will be cut next.

This threatens our ability to deliver life-saving weather forecasts and early warnings ahead of deadly storms.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has floated the idea of eliminating FEMA entirely, leaving states to manage disaster response on their own.

Experts from both parties have raised alarms about how these cuts will weaken storm preparedness and recovery efforts.

The recent tornadoes tearing through the South and Midwest are just the latest reminder of how critical these agencies are to public safety.

We calling on the federal government to fully reinstate NOAA staff and its resources and to properly fund FEMA to ensure communities have the resources they need to recover

Lives are at stake. Sign this petition.

Image: USA Today