Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has reportedly infiltrated the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency responsible for collecting and sharing vital weather and climate information. Sources have told The Verge that DOGE representatives arrived at NOAA offices in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources.

The sudden presence of DOGE at NOAA has raised fears that the ad hoc group Musk is leading to remake the federal government is about to take a sledgehammer to NOAA, potentially hobbling the agency's ability to keep the public safe during disasters. One current employee tells The Verge they're staying on despite "demoralizing" changes at the agency because of how vital their work is — people rely on NOAA for accurate forecasts every day.

According to Juan Declet-Barreto, senior social scientist for climate vulnerability at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the situation resembles a "hostile corporate takeover of a government agency that provides a suite of services to the public to protect lives and to protect property." Declet-Barreto expressed concerns that the privatization of weather forecasts could put more Americans at risk during extreme weather events.

DOGE representatives allegedly "blew through security" and demanded access to NOAA's IT systems, sparking cybersecurity concerns. Andrew Rosenberg, a marine scientist who previously held leadership roles at the National Marine Fisheries Service at NOAA and UCS, described the situation as akin to a "major computer hack attack, but doing it inside the agency, because, you know, somebody gave you a badge."

Rosenberg claims that DOGE is targeting initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which President Donald Trump and Musk are trying to eliminate. A current NOAA employee, who was granted anonymity due to the risk of retaliation, told The Verge that staff have been instructed to delete or take down any materials related to DEI, including posters with information about how to report sexual assault and harassment.

The employee also reported that chatrooms and websites for employee resource groups, including one for women, have been taken down. At least one person at the agency was put on administrative leave, and a staff member who leads diversity and inclusion efforts within NOAA was placed on leave on Tuesday.

NOAA employees were told to give DOGE engineer Nikhil Rajpal editor access to NOAA Google sites, according to Wired, citing anonymous sources. The Department of Commerce, which houses NOAA, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Verge.

The turmoil at NOAA comes after DOGE stormed the Treasury Department and is attempting to shut down the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID. Trump has nominated Neil Jacobs to lead NOAA, who was found to have violated the agency's scientific integrity policy during the notorious "Sharpiegate" scandal of Trump's first term.

Only around 20,000 workers have reportedly chosen to take deferred resignation as of January 5th across the federal government, which is made up of around 3 million workers. Sweeping layoffs could start soon, Trump administration officials told CNN. DOGE intends to slash NOAA's workforce in half and reduce its budget by 30 percent, according to Rosenberg.

The implications of DOGE's actions at NOAA are far-reaching and potentially devastating. Privatizing weather forecasts could turn a free service into something for which people would have to pay, putting lives at risk during extreme weather events. As Declet-Barreto noted, "How will they know if they need to evacuate and when? Or how hot it's going to get during a heat wave and when? That is all public information paid by your tax dollars, and that information protects people and saves lives."

The situation at NOAA serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of unchecked privatization and the erosion of government agencies. As the federal government continues to grapple with the fallout of DOGE's actions, one thing is clear: the stakes have never been higher for the future of public services and the safety of American citizens.