ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season begins, experts are sounding the alarm over potential vulnerabilities in Georgia and other states, warning that federal budget cuts could curb preparation and response efforts.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting an above-average season, with more than a dozen named storms expected—several of which could bring significant damage.

Pam Knox, an agricultural climatologist at the University of Georgia, said the anticipated cuts to federal agencies responsible for weather forecasting and disaster response could be devastating.

“The chances that we’re going to see some activity are pretty big,” Knox said. “We just don’t know how strong it’s going to be.”

Knox closely follows NOAA’s hurricane outlook and pointed to past storms like Hurricane Helene, which tore through the state, displacing families and devastating crops. She worries farmers who are still repaying loans from previous disasters may not recover if another major storm hits.

“People are still paying off debts from those earlier storms,” she said.

Federal cuts are already being felt. The National Weather Service recently lost more than 500 employees due to layoffs and early retirements.

Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is under review by a council formed by former President Trump. Congress is also considering a proposal to slash more than $600 million from FEMA’s budget.

Knox says that while Georgia may have the financial stability to handle minor storm damage using state reserves, it’s the major hurricanes that pose the greatest risk.

“Those really big ones just outweigh what even the state can do,” she said.

As hurricane season officially begins, residents are urged to stay prepared and pay attentio to trusted news sources for weather information.

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